Bovada is a betting house offering sports betting, horse betting, casino games, live dealer games, and of course a poker room. This review will focus on the poker room. When you look up Bovada, you will almost always see a mention of Bodog. This is because Bovada spun off Bodog. In 2011, Bodog decided to end all association with US Gambling, but they were not ready to lose the lucrative US market. So Bodog moved out of the US, but only after a new domain name had been created and Bodog’s US members had been moved to the new domain name. Bovada.lv was the new domain name. So, Bovada is essentially the US site for Bodog. However, Bodog and Bovada have since operated as separate firms. If you are the USA want to play at Bovada but wondering if the gambling platform is legal in your state, this article well explore all the Bovada banned states and also reveal the states where the gambling site is legal.
Bovada is a gaming house that has documented affairs with other gaming houses. There’s the always mentioned relationship with Bodog, and there’s the brief romance with Ignition Casino. It can make you wonder what the position of Bovada is. Is this a legal gaming platform; and if it is, do they provide the services that an ideal house should? Is Bovada worth my time and money?
This review will examine the Bovada legality and banned states in order to provide the information that’ll help you answer those questions.
Bovada at a glance
- Bovada was created in 2011 as the US version of Bodog, so they accept only US players
- The poker room is one of its many offerings, with the others being a casino, live dealer games, sports betting, and horse racing
- Offers cash games (such as Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Omaha Hi/Lo) and a host of poker tournaments
- Have the largest player pool of pokers rooms that accept US players
- Features anonymous tables and offers a fast fold poker variant
- They attract a lot of recreational players
- Deposit methods are bitcoin and credit cards; withdrawal methods are bitcoin, wire transfer, and check by courier
- Customer support is available 24/7 via email, live chat and telephone
In 2016, Bovada closed down its Poker Room and all poker accounts were transferred to Ignition Casino. However, they came back to the poker scenes in August of 2017, and the poker room has remained till date. Bovada became part of the Pai Wang Luo Network, after the Hong Kong Company acquired the Bodog Network sometime in 2017.
Is Bovada legal?
You’ll need real money to play real money games in a betting house, so you’ll have to send money in to fund your account with the poker house. It shouldn’t surprise you that scam artist can use a betting house as a front to scam people. So sending money to an online platform is what you shouldn’t do until you have determined that the platform is legit; else you might have to wave goodbye to the money.
The best test to determining that an online gambling operator is legit is to look out for an operating license and whether it’s from a reputable licensing jurisdiction. Just like a drivers license means a legal jurisdiction has tested and passed you fit to drive; a gaming license means a legal jurisdiction had looked into the gaming operator and permits it to operate. The licensing jurisdiction also serves to regulate the gaming operator and ensure that it continues to operate fairly.
In this regard, Bovada used to have a gaming license from the Kahnawake Gambling Commission (KGC); and the KGC is one of the best regulators of online gaming houses in the business. If you caught that; Bovada used to have a KGC license, which has been rescinded. Then why does it still matter? The KGC has some of the most stringent rules; thus, Bovada played to very high standards to have the KGC license.
Also, the license was rescinded not for any wrongdoing on Bovada’s part, but because the KGC responded to some “funny” gambling US regulations by deciding to withdraw their license from gambling operators accepting members from the US.
Thus, Bovada still operates to the high standards set when under the oversight of KGC. However, not having an operating license means that they are not regulated, and many bettors still see this as a minus on their part. If, for you, the absence of an operating license punches a hole in their legit claim, then you should consider that Bovada passes the test of time.
They have existed for a number of years, and they have never missed a payout. Suffice it to say that no scam house can stay in operation for years ripping people off; also, scam houses do the opposite of “never missing a payout”. That said; there’s no doubt that Bovada is legal.
Bovada Banned States
Bovada is available in USA, however, not all states in the country that the platform is legal. All the states in the USA have their own laws and regulations so it may be accepted in one state na then restricted in another state. Below are the Bovada banned states in the USA:
According to Bovada’s official FAQ and Terms of Service, the platform does not accept players from 19 states and the District of Columbia. Current list of Bovada banned states are:
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- West Virginia
- Washington, D.C.
These states have all established regulated online sports betting and/or casino markets and have actively enforced against offshore operators through cease-and-desist orders.
Bovada remains accessible in the other 31 states (plus U.S. territories), where players can typically create accounts and wager without geo-blocking issues. However, availability can change quickly if more states ramp up enforcement.
Bovada Legal Alternatives in Banned States
In the Bovada restricted states, residents have access to state-licensed sportsbooks and casinos (e.g., Betonline, Ignition Casino, Betway). These platforms are fully regulated, offer consumer protections, and are the only legal option for online gambling in those markets. Below are the Bovada Alternatives:
- Betonline
- Ignition Casino
- Betway
- FanDuel
- DraftKings
- BetMGM
Conclusion
Bovada banned states list mirrors the fast transition of U.S. online gambling regulation. What began as a handful of laboriously regulated markets (Nevada, New Jersey, etc.) has risen to almost 20 jurisdictions as all the USA states protect their tax revenue as well as their licensed operators. The Bovada gaming site continues to serve the majority of the nation, however, the trend is clear: more states are likely to join the restricted list in the coming years. So why not enjoy the patform now if you are living in the Bovada legal states.
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