Bovada Bonuses

Bovada is a unique betting site in that it is only open to customers from North America. If you live in the Commonwealth of Canada or the United States of America, you’re allowed to open an account and place real-money bets at Bovada.lv.

Launched in 2011 as a North America-facing version of the popular all-in-one site Bodog, Bovada looks and feels similar to that site. The similarities aren’t just skin-deep; sure, Bovada could be Bodog’s twin brother, but it also offers nearly identical lists of games and promotions.

Below are details on each of Bovada’s bonus offers. You can find an updated list of promos here, as well as links to further information made available by the site.

Welcome Bonuses

The flagship welcome bonus offer at Bovada is aimed at casino gamblers, and it’s a little confusing. Technically, the site is making two bonus offers, which combined would equal $3,000 in bonus cash at a match rate of 100%. In order to earn the full $3,000 as advertised, you’d need to max out both bonus offers a total of four times – no small trick, especially at a rollover rate of 25x-40x deposit-plus-bonus. It looks like a more generous offer on paper than it really is, though if you’re a high-roller in the casino, I imagine you could have a shot at that full $3,000 bonus payout. Read more about this bonus at Bovada.lv.

Bovada’s sportsbook bonus offer is a 100% first deposit match worth up to $250. All first-time depositors are eligible for this bonus, but it won’t work for any deposits beyond your initial one. Bets on both sports and casino games count toward clearing this bonus, so even though it’s technically a “sportsbook bonus,” your blackjack play between match results counts. This bonus carries a rollover requirement of 6x deposit-plus-bonus for sports and 30x deposit-plus-bonus for casino games. Read more about this bonus at Bovada.lv.

The welcome bonus for poker players is a lot more lucrative on its face. First-time depositors who plan to play at Bovada Poker are eligible for a 100% first deposit match worth up to $1,000. Rather than depending on the traditional rollover system for clearing this cash, poker players are rewarded with bonus money in exchange for their loyalty. Only play during the sixty days after triggering the bonus counts towards clearing this bonus cash. Read more about this bonus at Bovada.lv.

Referral Bonus

For every friend you refer who makes a qualifying deposit, Bovada will pay you a special bonus. You can earn 200% of your friend’s deposit as a match bonus worth up to $100. Your friend’s deposit must be at least $20, and you have to have at least one withdrawal in your account history in order to activate this bonus by making a referral. The rollover for the referral bonus is as follows: 5x deposit-plus-bonus for sports bets, 30x deposit-plus-bonus for casino games, and 6x poker points for poker players. The referring friend must have at least one deposit history in their account to be eligible to receive the Refer-a-Friend Bonus. Read more about this bonus at Bovada.lv.

Mobile Bonus

If you’ve never tried Bovada’s mobile games before, the site will give you a $10 bonus in order to try it out. It’s a true promotional offer, in that Bovada really wants you to play on your iPhone, Android tablet or whatever, and they put together a pretty sweet deal to get you to do it. If you wager $250 or more between Monday and Sunday of a given week, Bovada will give you $10 in free mobile wagers. The rollover requirement is 20x for all bets. Read more about this bonus at Bovada.lv.

Other Bonuses

The Royal Flush Bonus is a prize given away to any poker player who gets a Royal Flush. An automatic bonus prize worth 50x the big blind, up to a maximum of $200. Tournament play is ineligible. You have to use both of your pocket cards to form the Royal, and you have to be playing with at least two other players. The Royal doesn’t have to go to a showdown, but it does have to be the outright winning hand.

Bovada makes special daily offers that change a few times a year. At my last visit, for example, they were running a “Table Mania Tuesdays” promotion. Starting every Tuesday, you’ll earn a $10 free bet bonus for casino games if you spend $250 or more on a few specific casino games in the next seven days. The list of twenty eligible games includes favorites like blackjack, roulette, and craps, along with baccarat, casino war, and a few other titles.

Conclusion

I like that Bovada’s bonuses and promotions are pretty evenly distributed between casino games, sports bets, and hands of poker. At least one of the welcome bonuses applies to multiple sections of the site, so you can get specific and take a sports or casino bonus or be a generalist and accept an offer that gives you access to both.
I’m not crazy about the rollover requirements for the site’s casino games, which hits 40x deposit-plus-bonus for at least one offer. The sportsbook rollover requirements are better, about average for a US-facing sportsbook promo page.

If you’re interested in bonuses and you live in the US or Canada, you should give Bovada a look if only because they offer more bonuses than other sites available to you and because the site itself is designed with you in mind. The added bonuses (Royal Flush, Table Mania Tuesdays, etc.) make Bovada.lv an even more valuable product.