Bovada California Casino Review 2024

Bovada app logoLike 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 well over 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, which gives Bovada a run for its money but is limited to casino gaming only (no online poker, sports betting, horse racing betting, etc.).

Bovada - #1 Rated CA Online Gambling Site For 2024

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 legally out of Costa Rica, which has long been recognized as one of the top online gaming jurisdictions in the world for real-money play. 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.

Pros:

  • All California residents accepted (18+)
  • 200+ slots
  • 40+ table games
  • Live dealer games
  • Poker room + live tournaments
  • Sportsbook + racebook
  • Bitcoin + other cryptos accepted
  • Bovada Vouchers + MatchPay
  • RNG fair play certified
  • Operates legally out of Costa Rica, Central America

Cons:

  • Comparatively few deposit and withdrawal options
  • Non-crypto payouts take 3-5 days
  • Residents of DE, MD, NJ, NV, NY 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 online CA 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

banking options iconIf Bovada has a weakness, it’s in the variety of payment types accepted at the site. Many online casinos support a host of CA accepted banking 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.

Note: Bovada will waive the first credit card or debit card 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, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, or Ethereum as your primary Bovada banking method for both deposits and withdrawals. Casino deposits using Venmo or Cash App are also free.

Deposits

  • Bitcoin – No fee, $10 min, $5000 max
  • Bitcoin Cash – No fee, $10 min, $5000 max
  • Cash App to Bitcoin - No fee, $10 min, $5000 max
  • Litecoin – No fee, $10 min, $5000 max
  • Ethereum – No fee, $10 min, $5000 max
  • Tether – No fee, $10 min, $5000 max
  • Bitcoin SV – No fee, $10 min, $5000 max
  • Visa – Fee varies, $20 min, $1500 max
  • Mastercard – Fee varies, $20 min, $1500 max
  • American Express – Fee varies, $20 min, $1500 max
  • Zelle-to-Bitcoin – No fee, $10 min, $5000 max
  • Bovada Voucher – No fee, $10 min, $3000 max
  • Bovada MatchPay – No fee, $20 min, $1000 max
  • Venmo - Via Matchpay or Vouchers

Withdrawals

  • Bitcoin – No fee, $10 min, $9500 max
  • Bitcoin Cash – No fee, $10 min, $9500 max
  • Litecoin – No fee, $10 min, $9500 max
  • Ethereum – No fee, $10 min, $9500 max
  • Tether – No fee, $10 min, $9500 max
  • Bitcoin SV – No fee, $10 min, $9500 max
  • Courier Check - $100 fee, $100 min, $3000 max
  • Bovada Voucher – No fee, $10 min, $3000 max
  • Bovada MatchPay – No fee, $20 min, $1000 max
  • Venmo - Via Matchpay or Vouchers

Casino Bonuses For CA Gamblers

Bovada has a limited selection of CA gambling bonuses, but they come with the most generous rollover terms in the industry. You can currently choose from the following promotions, though the list is subject to change at any time. Please note that enhanced Bitcoin bonuses are also available for other crypto deposits (Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, Bitcoin SV):

  • $3000 Casino Welcome Bonus – 100% deposit match, 25X rollover
  • Bitcoin Casino Welcome Bonus – Up to $3750, 25X rollover
  • Refer-a-Friend Bonus – 200% deposit match up to $100, 5-25X rollover
  • Bovada Rewards Program

Other Bonuses at Bovada

  • 100% Poker Welcome Bonus – Up to $500, no rollover
  • Bitcoin Sports Welcome Bonus – Up to $750, 5X rollover
  • $250 Sports Welcome Bonus – 50% deposit match, 5X rollover

Bovada Casino Premium Bitcoin Exclusive Membership

If you’re using Bitcoin or altcoins to gamble at Bovada, you already know that these are by far the best online casino banking methods going. You get the best bonuses, access to same-day payouts, and can quickly make guaranteed, rapid transfers to and from your favorite online California casino with ease.

Now, there’s even more reason to use crypto at Bovada, as the site has recently launched its Premium Bitcoin Exclusive Membership option. To take advantage of all the new perks that this membership gives you, simply log in, navigate to the Bitcoin Premium Exclusive Membership page, and upgrade your account to this new tier. You’ll get even better rewards for doing so, including the following:

  • Weekly Deposit Match Bonuses – 50% up to $500 per week
  • Weekly Free Spins – Get 25 free spins on every weekly deposit ($30 min.)
  • Bonus Reward Points – Earn 15,000 extra Bovada Rewards Points with each weekly deposit ($30 min.)

Regular Bovada members – even those already depositing with Bitcoin/crypto – do not get reload bonuses, so this is already a huge potential boost to your bankroll. But regular members also don’t have access to free spins or extra Bovada Rewards (which can earn you bigger bonuses and free entries into various slots and table game tournaments).

Taken together, this is easily the best value in online gambling for California players, and we recommend upgrading your account to the Bovada Premium Bitcoin Exclusive level ASAP.

Note: This special account boost is available to depositors who use Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, Bitcoin SV, or Bovada vouchers. In order to activate this membership, your account must be funded by one of these methods but can only be credited in USD, not mBTC. 

Bovada Casino Games Selection

There are hundreds of casino game choices at Bovada, with gambling amusements that mirror the best that any land-based Vegas venue has to offer. When you play at Bovada’s casino, you can expect to find all of the following:

  • 3-reel slots
  • 5-reel slots
  • 3-D slots
  • Progressive slots
  • Live dealer games
  • Blackjack
  • Baccarat
  • Craps
  • Roulette
  • Video poker
  • Pai Gow poker
  • Bingo
  • Keno
  • +More

FAQ ButtonBovada California Casino FAQs

Is it legal to gamble at Bovada if I live in California?

Yes! Bovada operates in full compliance of international law out of Costa Rica, a recognized global gambling destination. As such, California gamblers can freely use the site without fear of legal reprisal. There are no gambling laws in California that bar the use of offshore casinos, nor are there any federal laws that criminalize individual gamblers for playing at Bovada.

If the state ever passes laws to ban the use of real money offshore casinos, this page will be updated to reflect that. For now, you can legally gamble online at Bovada, and CA players have been doing so for over a decade.

Is using Bovada to gamble real money safe for CA residents?

Yes! Bovada is one of the safest, most reputable online casinos in the world, and they are dedicated not only to customer privacy and data security, but they also use the latest in SSL and TLS protocols to keep your information safe.

Further, Bovada does not share or sell your information to third parties, and because they accept crypto, you can gain further peace of mind in your online anonymity when using the site.

Do I have to pay taxes on my winnings when I gamble at Bovada?

Unfortunately, yes. When you win real money at Bovada, you do have to pay taxes on those winnings, which the government treats as personal income. Since California has a state income tax, that means that you have to report your winnings both at the state and federal levels.

Many users mistakenly believe that offshore casino winnings aren’t taxable, but that simply isn’t the case. Gambling is risky – that’s its allure, after all. But shirking the taxman is much riskier, and that’s a gamble you’ll lose every time.

Always keep track of your payouts and report them on your taxes, and you should have no problems. Remember, Aunt Cali and Uncle Sam have a 100% win rate.

How do I know Bovada’s slots and table games are fair?

Many online casinos beat around the bush when it comes to their software providers, but Bovada is upfront about the fact that they use trusted industry developers like Realtime Gaming and BetSoft. These brands are all certified for fair play, and they’re regularly audited by multiple regulatory bodies around the world.

In fact, RTG and BetSoft provide many brick-and-mortar casinos with their electronic slot machines and virtual table games, and that same software – with the same chances to win – is the backbone of all the games on offer at Bovada. If you can trust a regulated California tribal casino, you can absolutely trust Bovada, too.

Why is Bovada better than brick-and-mortar California casinos?

Standard physical casinos and CA casino resorts both have a lot to offer, but only to those who can visit them in person. These venues do not allow online gaming, as California gambling law prevents them from doing so. As a result, the main reason that Bovada is better than local brick-and-mortar casinos is the sheer convenience offered by being able to access Bovada from your smartphone or desktop, whenever you want and wherever you are.

Another major benefit that Bovada has over domestic California casinos is that the site supports cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, which is something you simply won’t find at any physical venue. Plus, you’ll never have to wait on a slot machine or table game to open up, and you don’t have to incur travel and lodging expenses, either. However, if you use Bovada to gamble, you will, unfortunately, have to comp your own drinks.

What is the California gambling age at Bovada?

The legal gambling age in California depends upon which tribal venue you patronize. Some have set their age limits at 18 and up, while others – typically those that serve alcohol on the premises – set their age minimum to 21 years old. At Bovada, however, you only have to be 18+ to gamble, and that’s true for all game types across the board.

In other states that have gambling age minimums set at 21 by law, Bovada customers should adhere to those rules. But because CA law does allow for 18-year-old gamblers, you can stick with that.

Note: Please do not sign up at Bovada until you are at least 18, as underage gambling at the site – while not technically a crime in California – does violate Bovada’s terms of service and will result in account termination and funds forfeiture.

What else does Bovada offer for CA gambling enthusiasts?

One of the best things about Bovada is that it’s a world-class casino, but it isn’t only a world-class casino. Bovada offers its CA customers the whole gamut of traditional and modern gambling amusements, including casino gaming, poker rooms and tournaments, live dealer table games, a robust sportsbook with thousands of daily odds and live betting options, and an international racebook.

No matter what kind of gambling you prefer, Bovada has it all, with dedicated bonuses and customer support for each different market. If you want the best online California gambling experience, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better operator than Bovada.