In This Article
- Our Verdict on Bovada
- Bovada Casino Features
- Bovada Software
- Interface & User Experience
- Bovada Sign-Up and Your State
- If You Already Have a Bovada Account
- Who Runs Bovada
- Bovada Customer Support and Complaints
- Bovada Review: What It Means for US Players
- Bovada Review: Offshore Betting Sites and US Players
- Bovada Review: How to Check a Site in Your State
- Bovada Review: Taxes on Gambling Winnings
- Bovada Review: Crypto and Offshore Betting
- Bovada Review: Self-Exclusion and Limits
- Bovada Review: Responsible Gambling
- Bovada Review: Conclusion
Bovada has been one of the most widely advertised gambling brands aimed at American players for many years, offering a casino, a sportsbook, horse racing and a poker room under one account. This Bovada casino review is a factual profile for US readers. It explains what Bovada offers, what we could and could not verify about who runs it and which licence it holds, and what it means to gamble with a site that is not licensed by any US state.
Let us be clear from the start: 99Bitcoins does not recommend Bovada. It does not appear on the lists of authorized operators published by the New Jersey and Pennsylvania regulators, and we found no licence for it from any US state. In the states that license online casinos and sportsbooks, regulated play is with the operators on the state regulator’s list. Most of those states set the minimum age at 21, so check your own state’s rule.
Our Verdict on Bovada
Earlier versions of this review said Bovada “ticks all three boxes” of being safe, reputable and licensed. We no longer stand by that, and we have rewritten this page.

Here is what we found when we checked on 5 October 2026. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement publishes a list of approved internet gaming sites and says that any site not on it is not approved to offer internet gaming in New Jersey. Bovada is not on that list, nor on New Jersey’s sports wagering list. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s lists of licensed online casino and sports wagering operators do not include it either. When we opened bovada.lv from a New Jersey connection, the site itself said: “Bovada is not available in your state.”
Older versions of this page and its FAQ said Bovada held a licence from Anjouan. We searched the Anjouan gaming licence register and the Curaçao Gaming Authority register and found no entry for Bovada. We could not read Bovada’s own terms to see which company and licence it names today, because the site sent us to a login page instead.
For a US player, that means no state regulator standing behind your account, no state dispute process and no link to your state’s self-exclusion programme. 99Bitcoins does not recommend Bovada.
What we could verify:
- Not on New Jersey’s list of approved internet gaming sites
- Not on New Jersey’s sports wagering list
- Not on Pennsylvania’s licensed online operator lists
- The site blocks visitors from New Jersey
What US players lack:
- No state licence or state regulator
- No state dispute process
- No link to state self-exclusion lists
- No verified offshore licence either
Bovada Bonus Offers
Bovada has advertised welcome bonuses for casino, sports and poker, with larger offers for crypto deposits than for card deposits, plus a points-based rewards scheme. We do not promote these offers. We have removed the amounts, promo codes and claim buttons from this page and replaced them with an explanation of what offers like these actually cost.
Casino Sign-Up Bonus
Earlier versions of this review described a three-part casino welcome bonus, with a higher match for crypto deposits, and wagering requirements of 25 times on the first deposit and 50 times on the second and third, applied to the deposit plus the bonus.
It is worth working through what that means. If wagering applies to the deposit and the bonus together, a 25x requirement on a 125% match is equivalent to betting about 56 times the deposit before any winnings can be withdrawn. At 50x, that rises to more than 110 times. Every one of those bets carries the house edge, so the expected cost of clearing such a bonus can be higher than the bonus itself.
Sports Bonus
The sports welcome offers described in older versions of this page had lower rollovers for sports and horse racing bets and much higher ones if the bonus was played on casino games. Offers that push players to bet a deposit several times over in a short period encourage more betting than they might otherwise do.
In states with legal sports betting, sportsbook promotions are covered by state rules on advertising and bonus terms. At an offshore book, the operator alone writes and enforces them.
No Deposit Bonus
We do not list no-deposit offers for sites that are not licensed in our readers’ markets, and we have removed the link to other no-deposit casinos.
Existing Customer Promotions
Older versions of this page described occasional free-spin promotions tied to depositing and wagering a set amount on certain days. Promotions like these are designed to bring players back to deposit again.
VIP Loyalty Program
Bovada Rewards gives points for sports, casino, poker and horse racing wagers, with more points per dollar on some bet types than others, and lets players redeem points for cash at rates that improve at higher tiers.
Like every loyalty scheme, it rewards volume: the more you bet, the more you get back, which means the biggest rewards go to the heaviest players. We have removed the tier-by-tier rates because we could not check them today.
Bovada Bonus Terms & Conditions to Consider
If you look at any bonus, at Bovada or anywhere else, these are the terms that decide its value:
- Wagering requirement: how many times you must bet the bonus, or the deposit and bonus together, before withdrawing.
- What counts: many offers exclude live dealer games and some table games from wagering.
- Time limit: how long you have before the bonus and any winnings from it are removed.
- Who enforces the terms: at a state-licensed operator, the state regulator; at an offshore site, nobody but the operator.
Bovada Promo Codes
We do not publish promo codes for Bovada. Older versions of this page listed several; we have removed them.
Casino Games Library
Older versions of this review described a casino of a few hundred games, mostly from smaller studios such as Betsoft, Rival Gaming, BGaming, Dragon Gaming and Reevo, rather than the largest suppliers. We have removed exact counts, because we could not check the lobby today.
Slots
Slots ranged from classic three-reel games to modern video slots. Every slot has a fixed return-to-player setting, which is a long-run average over millions of spins and says nothing about a single session.
Table Games
Blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps and casino poker variants such as three-card poker and Caribbean Hold’em made up the table section. Each has a house edge built into its rules or pay table, and side bets and jackpot add-ons usually carry a higher edge.
Live Dealer
A smaller live section offered blackjack, roulette and baccarat. Live games are slower but usually have higher minimum stakes.
Specialty Games
Scratchcards, crash games and Plinko-style games are fast and simple, which is exactly what makes them easy to play for too long.
Poker
Bovada’s poker room, which runs cash games and tournaments through a downloadable client, has been one of its best-known products. In poker, players compete against each other and the room takes a fee from pots and tournament entries.
Online poker is legal only in a handful of US states, with state-licensed operators. Players there can find licensed poker rooms on their state regulator’s list, for example the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s list of online poker operators.
Bovada Casino Features
The casino is deliberately simple, with a search bar and tabs for recently and most played games. Simplicity is fine, but it is not a substitute for the tools state-licensed operators must offer, such as deposit and time limits tied to your state’s rules and access to state self-exclusion.
Bovada Sportsbook
The Bovada sportsbook covers major US and international sports, horse racing and esports, with pre-match and live betting. Older versions of this page also described markets on elections and entertainment awards.
Available Markets
Football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer and tennis are the core of the book, with esports and racing alongside them. State-licensed sportsbooks follow their state’s rules on which events can be offered. Many states restrict or prohibit some types of bets, and an offshore book that offers markets your state does not allow is a sign that it is operating outside your state’s system.
Betting Odds
We have removed our earlier claim that Bovada’s odds were higher than those of other sportsbooks. Odds move constantly, and a comparison we cannot repeat is not something we can stand behind. Odds can be shown in American, decimal or fractional format.
Betting Features
Bovada has promoted boosted parlays and a prop builder. Parlays and same-game combinations multiply the bookmaker’s margin along with the potential payout, so “boosted” multi-leg bets still usually carry a large built-in edge.
Bovada Software
Bovada’s casino relies on smaller studios rather than the largest names in the industry. Big suppliers often limit their games to state-licensed operators in the US, which is one reason offshore casinos aimed at Americans tend to have a different set of studios.
Banking at Bovada
Older versions of this page described deposits by card, crypto and peer-to-peer services, with minimum deposits, withdrawal times and the advice to use crypto for the best bonuses. We have removed the step-by-step detail.
Accepted Payment Methods
Bovada has accepted cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and USDT, along with cards, vouchers and peer-to-peer transfers. We do not encourage crypto deposits at offshore sites. A crypto payment cannot be reversed by your bank, and if a withdrawal is refused, there is no state regulator to escalate it to.
Minimum Deposit
We no longer publish minimum deposits for sites that are not licensed in our readers’ markets. Many US banks also decline card payments to offshore gambling sites, and some offer customers a gambling block on their cards.
Payout Times
Older versions of this page quoted withdrawal times by method, including wire transfers taking up to 15 business days. We could not confirm current times. Withdrawals at offshore sites often involve identity checks at the point of cashing out, and disputes tend to start there.
Interface & User Experience
Bovada uses a clean white design with clear menus for sports, casino, live dealer, poker and horse racing, and its mobile site mirrors the desktop version. The poker client is a separate download for Windows and Mac.

When we visited from a New Jersey connection on 5 October 2026, we did not see the lobby at all. The site showed a login page with the message that Bovada is not available in your state.

Bovada Sign-Up and Your State
Older versions of this page walked readers through signing up and making a first deposit. We have removed that guide. We do not publish sign-up or deposit guides for sites that are not licensed where our readers live.
Before signing up with any gambling site, check your state regulator’s list of authorized operators. In New Jersey, the Division of Gaming Enforcement says any site not on its list is not approved to offer internet gaming in the state. Pennsylvania’s Gaming Control Board publishes separate lists for online casinos, sports wagering, poker and fantasy contests, and asks players to verify a site before they bet.
An older FAQ on this page also told readers in states Bovada does not serve that they “will need a VPN”. That was wrong and harmful, and we have removed it. Using a VPN or other tools to get round location blocks can breach a site’s terms and state law, and offshore sites commonly treat it as grounds to void winnings.
If You Already Have a Bovada Account
If you opened an account in the past, these steps can protect you:
- Check whether your state is one Bovada says it does not serve. If you see the “not available in your state” message, stop playing.
- Withdraw any balance you do not need, and keep records of your deposits, withdrawals and messages with support.
- Do not use a VPN or similar tool to get round a location block.
- Keep track of your winnings and losses for tax purposes.
- If you want to stop, use the site’s own closure options and your state’s self-exclusion programme, and talk to the National Problem Gambling Helpline.

Who Runs Bovada
Bovada has served American players for many years from outside the United States. Older versions of this page said it held a licence from the “Anjouan Gaming Board”, and highlighted SSL encryption and reCAPTCHA as evidence of safety.
We checked. Bovada does not appear on the Anjouan Gaming licence register or the Curaçao Gaming Authority register. We could not reach Bovada’s own terms to see which company and licence it names, because the site redirected us to a login page from both a US and a Canadian connection.
What we could confirm is its status in the US. It is not on the New Jersey list of approved internet gaming sites or New Jersey’s sports wagering list, and it is not among the Pennsylvania licensed online gaming operators. SSL encryption and bot protection are standard on almost every website and say nothing about whether a gambling site is licensed in your state.
Bovada Customer Support and Complaints
Bovada offers support by email and through a help centre and community forum. Older versions of this page praised the help centre’s video library; we could not check it today.

The bigger question is what happens if support cannot fix a problem. State-licensed operators answer to their regulator, and New Jersey, for example, publishes an internet gaming dispute form for players. A player at an offshore site has no such route.
Bovada Review: What It Means for US Players
For a US player, using a site that is not licensed by any state means:
- No state protection: state rules on fair terms, responsible gambling tools and advertising do not apply.
- No state dispute route: a refused withdrawal stays between you and the operator.
- No state self-exclusion: state self-exclusion lists bind state-licensed operators, not offshore sites.
- Tax still applies: the IRS says gambling winnings are fully taxable and must be reported on your tax return.
- Payment problems: banks can decline payments to offshore gambling sites, and accounts can be closed or blocked.
Where online gambling is legal, it is offered by state-licensed operators. Real-money online casinos are legal in only a few states, including New Jersey and Pennsylvania, each with its own regulator. Sports betting is legal in more states, again through state licences. To find what is legal where you live, start with your state regulator: for example the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement or the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Their lists name the operators allowed to take bets in their state.
Bovada Review: Offshore Betting Sites and US Players
“Offshore” simply means a gambling site run from outside the United States that takes bets from Americans without a licence from the state where the player is. Bovada is one of the best-known examples. Offshore sites are not licensed in any US state and are not recommended by 99Bitcoins.
The state model works differently. Each state that allows online casinos or sports betting decides which companies may operate, licenses them, tests their games and systems, and publishes the list. New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement puts it plainly: any site not on its list is not approved to offer internet gaming in New Jersey. Pennsylvania’s Gaming Control Board tells players to verify that a site is regulated by the board before they bet.
That is why the question to ask about any site is not whether it looks professional or pays quickly, but whether it is on your state regulator’s list. A polished website, a long history and a well-known name are not the same thing as a licence, and none of them gives you the protections that come with one.
Bovada Review: How to Check a Site in Your State
- Find your state’s gambling regulator. In many states it is a gaming commission or control board; in some it is the state lottery.
- Open its list of licensed or authorized online operators, which most regulators publish for casino, sports betting and poker separately.
- Check that the exact brand and web address you plan to use appears on that list.
- If your state has no legal online casino or sportsbook, there is no licensed option there, whatever an offshore site advertises.
- Look for the regulator’s logo or licence details on the operator’s site, and match them against the regulator’s own list.
Bovada Review: Taxes on Gambling Winnings
Winning at an offshore site does not change your tax position. According to the IRS, gambling winnings are fully taxable for casual gamblers and must be reported on your tax return, including winnings that are not reported to you on a Form W-2G. That covers sports betting, casino and horse racing winnings.
The IRS also says gambling losses can be deducted only if you itemize your deductions and keep a record of your winnings and losses, and only up to the amount of gambling income you report. State-licensed operators give players access to their account history, which helps with record-keeping. With an offshore account, keeping those records is entirely up to you.
Bovada Review: Crypto and Offshore Betting
Offshore sites aimed at Americans lean heavily on crypto, partly because many US banks decline card payments to them. Earlier versions of this page encouraged readers to use crypto to unlock bigger bonuses. We no longer do.
A crypto payment is final once it is confirmed: your bank cannot reverse it, and there is no state regulator to step in if a withdrawal is refused or an account is closed. Buying crypto in order to gamble at an unlicensed site combines the risks of both. If you have set up a gambling block with your bank, keep it in place.
Bovada Review: Self-Exclusion and Limits
Self-exclusion is one of the most effective tools for someone who wants to stop gambling, but it only works where it reaches. State regulators run their own programmes and resources: the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, for example, points players to responsible gaming tools and self-exclusion options alongside its operator lists. State-licensed operators have to honour these programmes.
An offshore site is outside that system. Closing or limiting an account there affects that one site only, and nothing stops a player from opening an account at another offshore brand the same day. If you want a break, combine your state’s programme with a bank gambling block, blocking software on your devices and support from the National Problem Gambling Helpline.
Bovada Review: Responsible Gambling
Bovada has a responsible gambling page with links to support organisations. Earlier versions of this review said Bovada allows players from 18, which is below the age of 21 that most states with legal online casinos require.
If gambling is causing problems for you or someone close to you, help is free and confidential. The National Problem Gambling Helpline, run by the National Council on Problem Gambling, is 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738). It is available 24/7 by call, text or chat and works in all 50 states. Gambling Therapy also offers free online support. State-licensed operators offer deposit and time limits and are bound by state self-exclusion programmes.
Bovada Review: Conclusion
Bovada is a long-running gambling brand aimed at Americans, with a casino, sportsbook, racebook and poker room. It is not on the authorized operator lists of New Jersey or Pennsylvania, it blocks New Jersey visitors itself, and we found no licence for it on the offshore registers we checked. Earlier versions of this page called it licensed and told some readers to use a VPN; both statements were wrong and have been removed.
99Bitcoins does not recommend Bovada. If you want to gamble online in the US, check your state regulator’s list and use only the operators on it. If online gambling is not legal in your state, the safest choice is not to play online at all.
FAQs
Is it safe to use Bovada Casino?
Bovada is not licensed by any US state. It is not on New Jersey’s list of approved internet gaming sites or Pennsylvania’s licensed operator lists, and we found no entry for it on the Anjouan or Curaçao registers. US players there have no state regulator or dispute route, so 99Bitcoins does not recommend it.
Does Bovada Casino actually pay out?
We cannot verify payout performance. What matters is that if a withdrawal is delayed or refused, there is no state regulator to complain to, because Bovada is not state-licensed. State-licensed operators answer to their regulator.
Which states is Bovada Casino legal in?
None. Bovada is not licensed by any US state regulator we checked. Online casinos and sports betting are legal only where a state licenses them, through operators on that state’s list. Bovada itself says it is not available in some states, including New Jersey.
What are the pros and cons of Bovada Casino?
Bovada offers a casino, sportsbook, racebook and poker room in one account. The key downside is that it is not licensed by any US state, so players get none of the protections of state regulation. 99Bitcoins does not recommend it.
Can you make real money at Bovada Casino?
Individual players can win, but every casino game has a house edge, and at a site with no state licence there is no regulator to help if a withdrawal is refused. Any winnings are taxable: the IRS says gambling winnings must be reported on your return.
What is the minimum deposit at Bovada Casino?
We no longer publish deposit details for sites that are not licensed where our readers live. If you want to gamble online, use an operator on your state regulator’s list.
Does Bovada accept Bitcoin?
Bovada has accepted Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. We do not encourage crypto deposits at offshore sites: crypto payments cannot be reversed by your bank, and there is no state regulator to step in if something goes wrong.
What country owns Bovada Casino?
Bovada operates from outside the United States. We could not read its current terms to confirm the operating company, and we found no entry for Bovada on the Anjouan or Curaçao licence registers, despite earlier claims of an Anjouan licence.
Do I need a VPN for Bovada?
No, and you should not use one. If Bovada says it is not available in your state, that is the end of it. Using a VPN to get round location blocks can breach a site’s terms and state law, and offshore sites commonly treat it as grounds to void winnings.
Can you withdraw from Bovada to your bank account?
Bovada has offered bank wire withdrawals among other methods, but we could not confirm current options or times. If you have a balance, withdraw it and keep records of your transactions for tax purposes.
How long does it take Bovada Casino to pay you?
We could not verify current payout times. Withdrawals at offshore sites can involve identity checks at the point of cashing out, and if there is a dispute, there is no state regulator to escalate it to.
References
- New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, internet gaming authorized sites, https://www.njoag.gov/about/divisions-and-offices/division-of-gaming-enforcement-home/internet-gaming-sites/
- New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, sports wagering, https://www.njoag.gov/about/divisions-and-offices/division-of-gaming-enforcement-home/sports-wagering/
- New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, internet gaming dispute form, https://www.nj.gov/oag/ge/docs/InternetGaming/IgamingDisputeForm.pdf
- Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, PA licensed online gaming operators, https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/pa-licensed-online-gaming-operators
- Anjouan Gaming, licence register, https://anjouangaming.com/license-register/
- Curaçao Gaming Authority, licence register, https://www.cga.cw/en/133i348441001
- IRS, Topic no. 419 Gambling income and losses, https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc419
- National Problem Gambling Helpline (NCPG), 1-800-MY-RESET, https://1800myreset.org/
- Gambling Therapy (Gordon Moody), free international support, https://gamblingtherapy.org/
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