Like most states, California doesn’t offer legal domestic casino gaming over the Internet. As a result, millions of regular gamblers in the state have sought out offshore alternatives. But in an industry with thousands of online overseas casino sites, one name consistently stands out: Bovada.
With nearly ten years of service under their belt, Bovada has earned its reputation among the best online casinos and betting sites. Further, the site’s pedigree dates all the way back to the beginning of online gambling in the late 1990s, so the company has been doing this – and doing it right! – for over a generation.
If you’re thinking of signing up at a premier online gambling site, our casino reviews guide will help explain why this operator should be your number-one choice in California casinos. There are other excellent casinos out there, of course, but Bovada always seems to come up aces. We have also provided a review of SlotsLV Casino, a sister site to Bovada that is also owned and operated by the Bodog brand.
The number from the RNG is then fed to the online casino software in order to produce a random outcome in a game. This will ensure that cards dealt from a deck do not follow a pattern, that the roll.
If you’re only going to choose one California-friendly casino site, Bovada is the top-rated all-in-one gambling destination on the Internet. The venue has nearly 220 slots to choose from, over 40 table games (including live dealer varieties), boasts a fully featured poker room with daily, weekly, and monthly tournaments and a full service sportsbook.
Bovada operates under the license of their parent company, the internationally renowned Bodog brand, and they are based in Costa Rica. California residents aged 18 and up can freely gamble at Bovada, and the site even offers a $3000 Welcome Bonus for casino players. As an added perk, if you ever get tired of the slots and table games at the site, Bovada has an international sportsbook and racebook available, too.
Bonus Offer
Pros:
- All California residents accepted (18+)
- 200+ slots
- 40+ table games
- Live dealer games
- Poker room + live tournaments
- Sportsbook + racebook
- Bitcoin accepted
- RNG fair play certified
- Operates under respected Bodog brand
Cons:
- Comparatively few deposit and withdrawal options
- Non-Bitcoin payouts take 3-5 days
- Residents of DE, MD, NJ, NV not accepted
Bovada Casino Overview
The Bovada casino is one of the best real money gambling services on the Internet. The company uses random number generation (RNG) technology from developers like Realtime Gaming, BetSoft, and several other of the most notable software brands in the industry, and their games are all regularly audited and certified for fair play.
Outside of technicalities, the Bovada casino experience is laid out with ease-of-use in mind. The games are all separated by type, with blackjack titles, table games, slots, video poker games, live dealer games, and specialty games (like keno, bingo, etc.) all receiving their own distinct pages.
As a major bonus, new players can also try out most of Bovada’s casino games for free without wagering real money. Many sites don’t allow this, but Bovada wants to ensure that their customers are able to try before they buy. Naturally, in order to win actual cash, you have to play the paid variants, but this feature allows you to find your favorite games without spending any money to do so.
Interface And User Experience
Bovada was one of the first betting sites to be built around the mobile experience, and it is easily the most streamlined of all California online casinos. While the desktop/laptop portal at Bovada is second to none and offers quick access to all your favorite slots and table games, the site’s mobile-optimized interface is truly next-level.
All of Bovada’s award-winning RNG and live dealer games can be enjoyed on the go via iPhone, Android, iPad, and other modern portable devices like the Kindle Fire or Galaxy Tab. You can even use Bovada with older handsets and tablets (i.e. Windows Phone, Blackberry), provided you have access to a modern browser.
Mobile Online Casino Features
Bovada’s mobile casino has set a high benchmark for other operators to emulate, and that’s because the team at Bovada have always put an emphasis on both style and substance. The mobile online casino options you’ll get when you sign up include the following:
- Responsive design to match any device or screen size/resolution
- Fully browser-based – no downloads required
- HTML5 and Flash-based games compatible with all modern mobile devices
- Smooth, app-like interface
- One-tap access to all account management, banking, etc.
- SSL and TLS encryption standards
- No geo-fencing – play your favorite games anytime, anywhere
Bovada Online Casino Banking Options
If Bovada has a weakness, it’s in the variety of payment types accepted at the site. Many online casinos support a host of deposit options, but Bovada has limited its deposits to only a small number of choices. The same is true for its withdrawal options.
However, this isn’t exactly a negative, because Bovada’s banking portfolio is designed to support only those services with the highest success rates for their members. After all, multiple payment options aren’t worth much when half of them don’t work for your needs.
Bovada Casino Free Play
Note: Bovada will waive the first credit or debit deposit fee, but subsequent charges will incur a fee of between 5% and 9%, depending on the card you use. Your card issuer may also charge an international transfer fee of up to 3%. To avoid deposit fees, it is recommended that you use Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash as your primary Bovada banking method for both deposits and withdrawals.