As known from:
VA
US Gambling Sites / Bovada Review

Bovada Poker Review 2025: Is Bovada Poker Scam? [BLACKLISTED]

Is Bovada legit? No!

This operator is blacklisted by captaingambling.com due to unfair play.
Play with one of captaingambling.com's recommendations instead for a safer experience:
Blacklisted!
Bovada Poker
Favicon
0.0/5
  • Illegal in the US
  • Poor customer care
  • Lame crypto betting site
Bovada Poker Promo
Details
User Reviews1

WARNING: Bovada Poker is an illegal online gambling site. Take a look below to see why you cannot trust Bovada and why you should play at a legit US casino site instead!

Bodog launched the Bovada online poker website in 2011 and it has been ripping off US customers since then. Everything from its rigged poker games to its misleading bonuses is bad news. Keep reading to see just how bad it got in our Bovada review.

Bovada might not be the right choice, but we've got plenty of other great (and fully licensed) recommendations!

Read More
Bovada Poker USA: Pros & Cons
  • Slow payouts
  • Bad customer support
  • No US regulation
Company
Morris Mohawk Gaming Group Casinos
Founded
2011
Available Languages
EN
ES
+
Customer Support
Phone
Phone
1-866-234-1324
Hunter Cherry
07/10/2021
Good luck
"Good luck finding truth if you take captaingambling’s advice here. His entire review is completely false if not outdated. Bovada had. I deposit fees ..."
User Rating
4.0/5
1 User Review
5 Stars
0.0%
4 Stars
100.0%
3 Stars
0.0%
2 Stars
0.0%
1 Star
0.0%
Last Updated on 19/01/2025
Fact checked by: Mark Lewis

Bovada Welcome Bonus - Dodgy Poker Bonus

On the search for the best online casino deals? Well, go elsewhere! Bovada is currently offering a matched deposit bonus to new players at a rate of 100% up to $500 that might sound good, but it's a real rip-off. This means that when you sign up for a brand new account, using the correct promo code, the total of your first deposit will be paid back to you in full, completely free of charge. Sounds like an absolute bargain, right? Sadly not.

There are some caveats (as any experienced punter will tell you): the bonus will be released in $5 increments for every 150 loyalty points earned on your account. You only have 30 days immediately after activation of the promo to earn as many possible loyalty points as you can, after which the bonus period will end and all unearned bonuses will be forfeited.

It’s not just about the poker though - Bovada is also offering welcome bonuses on both their Casino and Sportsbook sections. Unfortunately, all of these bonuses suck as you can see from our Bovada bonus review.

Usability - Terrible gaming site and app

Bovada, being one of the most notorious offshore poker sites, would be foolish not to have an online app readily available for mobile players to download. Of course, their app emphasizes playing on the go, incorporating some of the features of the website into the microformat. On Bovada Poker Mobile you can play cash games, zone poker, Super Millions Poker Open, Jackpot Sit N Go, and even more.  It’s available on both iOS and Android and includes all of the tournaments available on the website. However, we found the app to be glitchy and it made the gameplay a nightmare.

Never mind how bad the app might be, don't forget that Bovada is a blacklisted brand. We cannot recommend using this app.  Find a better poker app using our 888Poker or Is Global Poker secure reviews.

Bovada Banking Methods That Cannot Be Trusted

Bovada simply cannot be trusted with your cash. But below is a list of the payment methods available on the Bovada website, a little bit of information about each one and our own recommendations:

  • Credit/Debit Cards: by far the safest and easiest way to deposit funds into your online gambling account. However, US banks won't let you make payments to an illegal gambling site like Bovada.
  • Cash: Bovada is a betting site, something that is common across many of our blacklisted operators.
  • Zelle: American digital payment service, may take multiple days for transfers to go through and is always prone to unforeseen issues.
  • Prepaid Voucher: make sure when buying a gift card or a voucher that it clearly states that it is valid for international and online purchases, as domestic use only codes will not work on most operator websites, Bovada included.

Bovada tries to tempt new players onto their website with the very first deposit made with any of the accepted cards will be free of additional charges. Long-time players will tell you that you don’t get the opportunity to avoid deposit charges very often, but there are big downsides at Bovada.

The charges are no joke. Usually, it’s a 5.9% additional charge on any deposit, in addition to a 5-10% charge to convert currency and a 3% international fee for payments made overseas. Be aware if you’re playing while travelling; these charges seriously stack up and they are yet another reason why you should avoid Bovada.

Lame Customer Support at Bovada

There are plenty of customer service contact options on Bovada’s website, and they are all equally bad. We couldn't actually get anybody from Bovada to get back in contact with us. It’s all well and good having an online forum page dedicated to all the popular issues, but when someone has a problem with their bankroll or a payout, they’re going to want to speak to an actual person to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

As a customer, you deserve to be looked after. Here are the details of Bovada’s customer support service although you'll be wasting your time here.

  • Email (media inquiries): pr@bovada.lv
  • Email (personal): service.bovada.lv
  • Twitter: @BovadaOfficial
  • Facebook: @BovadaLV
  • Live Chat

Licensing - Is Poker at Bovada Legit & Legal? No it is not!

Is Bovada legit? Not really. It has all the makings of a top operator, but it failed our test. In our Bovada review, we look into the specifics of Bovada, how it serves new customers, and answer the question is Bovada legit and legal? So with a complete lack of US licensing, we'd have nothing else to say other than no it is not - avoid Bovada.

 

Bovada Poker VIP Program Not Worth The Time

This site has yet to launch in Michigan or any other US state although Bovada Poker has a lame VIP program for the online poker house. You accumulate loyalty points every time you bet and every time you take part in one of their promotions. To be fair, it's a bit of a rip-off as you get virtually nothing back from your wagering.

Software - Don't download the Bovada poker software

Positive
  • Some poker tournaments
  • Fair poker software
  • Poker bonuses

Bovada has developed its own software that you can use to try to play at its poker tournaments. You’ll have to download this poker software to your computer, and from here you’ll hopefully get access to some poker gameplay. We should note that there is full provision for all poker gaming fans at Bovada too. Unfortunately, the poker software was glitchy and barely worked for us.

Games - Poor gameplay experience

All of Bovada’s sit and go and cash games give you chance to play various poker variants. Obviously, there will be some Texas Hold’em games here, and we also saw a few less popular poker ones too.

However, we cannot say that playing them is in any way enjoyable. We suffered endless slow-loading, glitching and crashing whilst attempting to play - a really poor show from Bovada.

Avoid Bovada’s Daily Tournaments

There are some tournaments occasionally happening at Bovada poker, but you'd be better off avoiding this site. While there is reportedly an enormous player base, we can't really recommend this site.

Bovada runs a dodgy Sunday night $150k guaranteed promo with the first-place payout no less than $20,000. It sounds interesting, but we think it's a scam and that you'd be better off playing the daily poker tournaments found in our Party Poker review or our Betfair poker review.

Bovada’s Freerolls

Freeroll tournaments are free from buy-ins, making them a place for new players to test their skills and develop poker intuition at low risk. Of course, the prize pools reflect this, being very small compared to most other tournaments, but it’s all about getting the playtime in. Bovada runs some of these deals, but they all looked like bad news to us.

Bovada runs multiple daily freerolls at 11:00, 15:00 and 17:00 PM CET, with a Turbo $5k PTS at 9:20 p.m. every Thursday and a regular $5k PTS at 2:20 p.m. on a Saturday. Players can actually earn 25 poker point qualifiers to enter themselves into the weekly 5k event on these freerolls. It sounds interesting, but just remember that Bovada cannot be trusted, no matter how tempted you might be to try these games.

 

Limits - Poor variety in limits

Bovada has a fair range of tournaments but this doesn't mean a wide range of limits. We failed to find any online poker games that you could play with tiny wagering stakes, and conversely, it was hard to find many poker tournaments that you enter with a very high minimum stake. Probably not enough scope for all levels of poker player and another reason not to recommend Bovada to you.

Conclusion - A bad choice for poker fans

Bovada has certainly come up with a dismal online poker platform, and it's one that does a poor job in terms of the quality of its software. We found a poor range of tournaments here and there was a limited range of flexibility when it came to the wagering limits. Plus, due to other more important issues across the site, we'd recommend avoiding Bovada.

Bovada Poker FAQ

💰What Bovada poker cash games are there?

Read our Bovada poker review where we will take a close look at all of the different kinds of poker cash games there are on the gaming site. You'll also see why we blacklisted Bovada. We recommend trying one of the legal sites you'll find in our guide to the best online casinos in the US and give Bovada a miss altogether.

👀Are there any Bovada poker software problems?

Make sure that you read our Bovada poker review where we will take a close look at how the brand’s poker software works and reveal the many problems with it. We’ll also let you know if the Bovada poker bonus is worth the time of day and show you how some of the best online casino bonuses do the job right. Here's a clue: Bovada isn't worth the effort.

❓How can I get help if my Bovada poker download isn’t working?

In the likely event that your Bovada poker download isn’t working, you’ll probably need to get some expert help. So take a look at our Bovada poker review to see whether this brand has a professional customer support team you can reach to get help. We’ve found that all of the best online gambling sites in the US will always have excellent customer support. Bovada does NOT fit into that category.

📱Is there a Bovada poker app?

Lots of people like to play online poker via an app. This is because such apps give them a very convenient way to play poker from the comfort of a tablet or smartphone. Check out our Bovada poker review to see why we recommend giving this brand's app a miss and finding one of the best online casino apps in the US instead.

🎁Can I get a Bovada poker bonus?

Yes, you can, but it's not worth the effort of trying. You'd be better off spending the time looking at some of the best sports bonuses in the US instead. But make sure that you read our Bovada poker review to see exactly why we have blacklisted Bovada. 

Bovada Poker In Michigan - Coming soon? Hopefully Not

Bovada poker is a branch of the Ignition poker brand, so it pretty much runs the same way that Ignition poker runs. They have a fair variety of poker games you can play, but they all suck. Bovada hides the experience level of the players so big-time players can't just wait for a game of newbies who, when they open their virtual doors, will come to play Bovada poker with real money in Michigan. They have a bonus offer that looks good but isn't worth the time.

You can come to Bovada poker Michigan and hope you are playing a fair game as this is a blacklisted site. Bovada poker in Michigan is sadly not going to be one of the most respected online poker houses in the world and you should go elsewhere to get a comprehensive online poker experience.

Are There Bovada Poker Michigan Bonus Offers? Thankfully Not

While this site isn't available in Michigan yet, here are the bonuses they offer elsewhere. When Bovada does launch in Michigan the bonuses should be similar if not exactly the same - just remember that Bovada is blacklisted so you should go to one of the best internet casinos instead.

Bovada has one welcome bonus. You'll get matching funds – 100% up to $500 on your first deposit. Therefore, you might be tempted to put as much money in your first deposit as possible but this would be risky. You'll be able to withdraw $5 for every 150 loyalty points you earn. You earn loyalty points by gambling. You can also try to earn them by taking part in the promotional offers on the site but this is a waste of time. The main point of the bonus money is to give you a chance to keep playing poker once your initial stake has run out. However, we felt that this deal was a bit of a rip-off.

To compare this matching funds bonus with other current promotions, take a look at our Party Casino bonus code or PokerStars welcome bonus guides.

Is There Bovada Poker Michigan Customer Service? Definitely Not

As we said before, this site isn't available yet in Michigan. We tested the offshore version of the site and we were disappointed with what we found.

Bovada has the same customer service program as Ignition Poker. You can contact them via live chat 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or call up their phone number. You can also email them with any issues or requests that will require you to send over documentation. Sadly all of the responses were really slow. They weren't even very accurate no matter how complex we framed the questions. Bovada poker has simply inadequate customer service that is hopeless no matter what kind of issue you are having.

Conclusion - Not a good poker site

So is Bovada good for online poker? Not even close. The actual poker gaming service is below par with hardly any top tournaments. Plus we hated using the Bovada poker software that proved to be slow and made it hard work to take part in the competitions.

Until Bovada gets fully regulated in the US, there is no way that we’re going to be able to recommend this poker site. Ultimately, it’s a frustrating picture as Bovada initially looks good, but has some way to go before we can recommend it to you.

User Reviews for Bovada

4/5 – 1 User Review
  1. Good luck
    Hunter Cherry

    Good luck finding truth if you take captaingambling’s advice here. His entire review is completely false if not outdated. Bovada had. I deposit fees whatsoever, no glitchy software, has my favorite poker area on the web, and slots are great and actually black Jack is great too. This site is run by garbage, but we’ll see if they catch this before it gets posted. I’m sure they sensor every single one these. Captain…. You deserve a mouthful of dog shit. Don’t mislead the public just cause you suck at life.

    Only negative is that I’m pretty sure they’re bots playing poker with you not other customers.

Post your own Review

* required
Blacklisted!
Bovada Poker
Favicon
0.0/5
  • Illegal in the US
  • Poor customer care
  • Lame crypto betting site
Bovada Poker Promo
More Articles Related to Bovada
Our Team
Mark LewisJosh SchwartzDan HolmesDrew the DFS GuyMike Goodpaster
Mark Lewis
Mark Lewis
Editor
Josh Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
Editor
Dan Holmes
Dan Holmes
Sports Writer
Drew the DFS Guy
Drew the DFS Guy
DFS Expert
Mike Goodpaster
Mike Goodpaster
Editor
Get the latest updates in Sports and Casino via our Newsletter

21+ and present in VA. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

This site is using Cloudflare and adheres to the Google Safe Browsing Program. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times.
Virginia Town HallCloudflareSSLco² neutral
×
Your Promo Code:
The bonus offer of Bovada was already opened in an additional window. If not, you can open it also by clicking the following link:
Play now