Bodog Casino

Bodog Casino is an online casino which allows gambling on sports, horse racing, bingo games, and poker. It is one of the most recognizable gaming brands on the Internet. Over the decades, Bodog has built a reputation for reliability, transparency, innovation, and variety.

Bodog is what made Calvin Ayre a billionaire. It's been ten years since the site's founder sold the company, but Bodog and its affiliated sites continue to serve gamblers from Canada, the United States, and Asia. Although this article serves as a guide to the main brand, Bodog, we include information on associated sites when necessary.

Bodog Summary

Bodog.EU is Canada only; Bovada is US-only; Bodog88 includes gamblers in China, Vietnam, and other East Asian countries.

Despite the different websites, players from the Bodog and Bovada and Bodog 88 play in the same poker rooms. Thus, American poker players can gamble against Canadian poker players and players from Asia.

Bodog Casino works with Microsoft Windows OS and Mac OS gamblers while Bodog Mobile supports both Android OS and Apple OS smartphones and tablets.

Bonus Amount: $600 (casino) plus $400 (poker) plus $200 (sports).

Platforms Supported: Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac.

Type of Casino: Online, Mobile, Live, Bitcoin.

Number of games: 250+

Pros of Bodog:

  • Hundreds of slot machines from a variety of top developers.
  • One-stop gaming for those who want to gamble on sports, horses, poker, or bingo.
  • 94 Club is designed for elite players.
  • Regulated by a trusted Canadian gaming commission.
  • Many options, including sports, racing, mini games, lottery, bingo, and poker gaming.

Cons of Bodog:

  • US players cannot play.
  • The bonus is nothing spectacular while the betting odds are not always the best in the business.

Payment Processing Information

Withdrawal

  • Methods: Bitcoin, Direct Bank Transfers, and Courier Check.
  • Limits: $20 to $3,000 for Check by Courier, Direct Bank Transfer (DBT), and Bitcoin withdrawals.
  • Times: 48 hours to 10 business days.

Deposit

  • Methods: Visa, Verified by Visa, MasterCard, MasterCard SecureCode, EntroPay, Interac, Bitcoin, and Direct Bank Transfers.
  • Limits: Visa and MasterCard: $20 to $1,000, Interac e-Transfer: $20 to $1,000, Bitcoin: $20 to $5,000.

Bitcoin Deposits:

Bodog Casino now accepts the peer-to-peer digital currency Bitcoin. It has become a method of payment on many online casino sites. Our Bodog review recommends players use either Coinbase or Circle for their bitcoin payments.

Bodog Review of Bonuses and Promotions

Welcome Bonus:

The basic welcome bonus at Bodog Casino is a $600, 100% matching offer. Players receive a $600, 100% deposit bonus when they sign up for a new account and make their first deposit.

To activate your bonus offer, sign-in to your Bodog account. Go to the Deposit Page to fund your account. Bodog matches whatever money you deposit, up to $600.

Table Games Match Bonus:

There is a larger rollover requirement for the table games bonus, so keep this in mind while playing. Also, remember that the following games do not satisfy the playthrough requirement: Single Deck and Double Deck Blackjack, Baccarat, Craps, all Roulette games, and Sic Bo.

Several other bonuses are being offered right now. Here is a snapshot of each of those.

Table Games Tuesday:

A weekly promotion called "Table Games Tuesday" offers a $10 bonus chip to players who earn 50 or more casino points playing blackjack.

Hit-and-Draw Bonus:

Blackjack players receive a special perk. Each time you hit blackjack in a real money game from Monday to Sunday, it acts as a free entry into a weekly $210 hit-and-draw bonus drawing. Whoever wins the drawing collects $210.

To qualify, you'll need to hit a blackjack on Classic Blackjack, Perfect Pairs, Pontoon, Super 21, Face Up 21, Match Play 21, Single Deck Blackjack, Double Deck Blackjack, European Blackjack, or Zappit Blackjack. The bonus is subject to the 20x rollover rules.

Refer-a-Friend Program:

Players can earn up to $100 per friend referred through the Refer-a-Friend Program. You'll up a 200% bonus depending on the size of their first deposit, up to $100. This is earned by referrals through your Facebook page, Twitter page, an email, or a direct link. No limit applies to how many can be signed up.

$10 Mobile Casino Bonus:

The first time you wager $100 or more at the casino through a mobile device, you'll receive a one-time $10 bonus. A bonus code is sent out to your email address or mobile device within 48 hours of the end of the Promotional Week (midnight between Sunday and Monday). You have 14 days from receiving the bonus code to input it into your Bodog account. If you do, you receive a $10 bonus chip.

To be able to withdraw this $10 bonus, you must satisfy a 20x rollover. You can play Single Deck Blackjack, Double Deck Blackjack, Baccarat, Roulette, Sic Bo, or Craps in order to satisfy the rollover. Essentially, you'll need to play multi-hand blackjack, video poker, or slots to complete the rollover requirement.

$400 Poker Sign-Up Bonus:

A $400 poker signup bonus is in effect, but you'll see this advertised as a 100% poker bonus (up to $1000). When you register an account and make a deposit, the amount of money you wager over the next 60 days affects this bonus amount. The amount you can activate depends on the amount of money deposited within 24 hours of your first deposit.

To get the full $1000 potential, you must deposit at least $1000 within the first 24 hours of your deposit. Then you can activate the bonus money by volume play over the next two months. Here is a chart to show that amount.

  • 5000 Poker Points: $400 Bonus
  • 3000 Poker Points: $300 Bonus
  • 1500 Poker Points: $150 Bonus
  • 1000 Poker Points: $100 Bonus
  • 250 Poker Points: $40 Bonus
  • 50 Poker Points: $10 Bonus

As the Bodog review shows, they advertise a $1000 welcome bonus, which is really the $600 casino bonus added to the $400 poker bonus. There is no rollover requirement because you satisfy its requirements by playing cards.

100% Sports Sign-Up Bonus:

When you make a deposit into your Bodog account, redeem the sports bonus by inputting the promo code "FIRST DEPOSIT". This activates a $200 deposit which appears within 30 minutes in your account. It is available for sports, horses, or casino play. This bonus does not work in the poker room.

  • Sports: 5X Rollover
  • Horses: 5X Rollover
  • Casino: 40X Rollover

Do not make a withdrawal before satisfying the rollover, because the bonus (and any money won with the bonus) will be deducted from your account. Read the terms and conditions carefully.

Bodog Casino Rewards

An ongoing Casino Rewards program is active at the Bodog Casino. This works on over 150 "next-level" casino games. The cash is loaded into your account every other Friday. Here is a table for how that money activates. Every 100 Casino Points you accumulate is translated into $1 in cash.

  • Single and Double Deck Blackjack: 1 casino point for every $25 bet
  • Blackjack, Mini Blackjack, Mini Roulette, and Table Games: 1 casino point for every $10 bet
  • Slots and Mini Slots: 2 casino points for every $10 wagered

94 Club - High Roller Rewards:

94 Club is a program for high rollers at Bodog Casino. Players who join the 94 Club are given double cash rewards as well as exclusive offers. 94 Club members collect weekly bonuses and are invited to attend live events around the globe.

Members are also given access to exclusive prizes and giveaways. Benefits include highly personalized customer service, so 94 Club members go to the front of the line when they have an issue.

94 Club is an exclusive program with membership awarded by invite only. The only way to receive an invitation is to prove one's worthiness by gambling at high rates. This is a program for premium players, high rollers, and whales.

Bodog88 Casino

Bodog88 Casino is an online casino for Asian players, focused on gamblers in China, Malaysia, and Thailand. The Philippines-based was launched in 2009 and the site supports three languages: Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and English. Gamblers can use one of three currencies: Chinese Yuan Renminbi, Malaysian Ringgits, and Thai Baht. The welcome bonus is 1,288 Renminbi and 20 free spins. Baccarat, Sic Bo, Keno, and Mahjong are key focuses of the game designers. Besides a download and mobile casino, Bodog88 also supports a live casino.

Bodog88 Live Casino:

The Bodog88 Live Casino is powered by Bodog Asia Live proprietary software and is licensed by the First Cagayan Corporation in the Philippines. All Android and iOS devices should be compatible with Bodog88 Live, including Android smartphones and tablets, iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch models. Bodog88 is optimized for native Chinese Android designers like Xiaomi and Meizu, while international brands like Lenovo and Huawei are also compatible. The latest Xiaomi Mi Note 2 and Mi MIX should work seamlessly. The live dealers at Bodog 88 deal games of Baccarat, Dragon Tail, Roulette, and Sic Bo in real time.

Real-Series Slots from RTG

This Bodog review shows they have offered RealTime Gaming slots for many years. The Real-Series Slots are the best video slots from RTG, with a variety of the features players want the most. RTG puts a random progressive jackpot in many of their games. While this is a smaller jackpot, it is a bonus triggered randomly as you finish the game.

Top 5 Real-Series Slots:

Birds of Fury Slots - To anyone with kids (or a smartphone), it's very obvious what the 5-reel, 25 payline Birds of Fury Slots is based on Angry Birds. It includes wild symbols, scatters, several multipliers, and a random progressive jackpot.

Caesar's Empire - This RTG video slots game includes a wild symbol, multipliers, scatter pays, and a random progressive jackpot. The progressive is won at the conclusion of the game, regardless of the denomination played. The largest fixed jackpot on Caesar's Empire is 40,000.

Dirty Martini Slots - Dirty Martini is a 5 reel, 15 payline video slots game with a random progressive jackpot. The game looks a lot like the fruit games of the United Kingdom but adds a twist by including olives and Martini glasses. The game offers scatters, wilds (Martini Shaker), and a 40,000 fixed jackpot.

Aztec's Treasure - Aztec's Treasure Slots including scatters symbols, scatter pays, free games, and a random progressive. The max fixed payout is 40,000. A game with a larger jackpot called Aztec's Millions is also available.

Jackpot Cleopatra's Gold Slots - Jackpot Cleopatra's Gold is one of the most popular RTG slots of all time. It is based on the popular Cleopatra's Gold game, but includes a random progressive jackpot. It also has scatter symbols, free spins, and a bonus game with a 3x multiplier.

Video Slots from Rival Gaming

Rival Gaming is another online casino software developer which licenses slots to Bodog. Rival Gaming is challenging Betsoft in the graphics category, producing attractive video slots with a lot of bonus features, but few progressives. Those who want a throwback gaming machine should consider "Diamonds and Cherries" slots from Rival Gaming, which has 3 reels and 1 payline.

Top 5 Rival Gaming Slots:

Arabian Tales Slots - Arabian Tales is based on The 1,001 Arabian Nights, in which the cunning Princess Scheherazade enthralls her homicidal husband by telling him a new tale (with a cliffhanger) every night. It features expanding wilds and a scatter pay. One bonus game offers 50 free spins with a 3x multiplier.

Aussie Rules - This is a 5 reel, 15 line game based on Australian-rules football. It has wilds, scatters, free spins, and a bonus game with up to 100 free spins and a 3x multiplier.

Cleopatra's Coins - All software designers have their own Egyptian-themed slot machine and Cleopatra's Coins is Rival Gaming's answer to its competitors. This game, based on the queen of Egypt who seduced Roman generals Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, includes wild symbols, scatter symbols, a bonus round, 100 free spins, and a 3x multiplier.

Astral Luck Slots - Astral Luck's theme is zodiac signs. It includes wild symbols, scatters, a bonus round, and up to 20 free spins with a 3x multiplier.

Atomic Age Slots - Atomic Age is from the Rival Gaming's Nostalgia Line of slots. The Fifties Drive-In is the scatter symbol and the UFO icon is the wild symbol. Atomic Age hearkens back to a simpler time when all the United States had to worry about were UFOs and nuclear war.

These are not the only companies providing online slots for Bodog. For instance, Genesis Gaming has a few games on the site, such as the 5 reel, 25 payline Big Money Bigfoot.

Casino Games at Bodog

Table games are one of the most popular sections of our gambling site reviews. Bodog Casino includes blackjack, baccarat, craps, and roulette from RealTime Gaming. RTG's blackjack catalog is excellent, including Perfect Pairs, Match Play 21, Pontoon, and Super Fun 21. It also includes single-hand and double-hand blackjack.

Bodog Casino Video Poker

Bodog Video poker includes games you can also find at Bovada and other RTG sites, including Jacks or Better, Joker Poker, Deuces Wild, and Loose Deuces. RTG eliminated Tens or Better because it's an inferior game. Instead, it provides a variety of Bonus Poker games.

Loose Deuces, Deuces Wild, and Bonus Deuces Wild offer the best payouts in brick-and-mortar casinos. Unless the payout tables are much different than they are in land-based video poker, those should be the best variants of the game provided according to this Bodog review.

Rival Gaming Specialty Games

The specialty games on Bodog Casino include an assortment of virtual bingo and lotto-style scratch cards. The casino offers four variants of bingo, which comprises the whole range of games played around the globe. The online scratch cards mimic the lottery scratch-offs and pickle games sold in brick-and-mortar lottery venues around the globe.

Bovada Casino

Bovada Casino is an outgrowth of Bodog Casino. It is the American version of Bodog, with the same software support. As we discussed earlier, the Bodog Brand even allows Canadian and American gamblers to co-mingle on player-versus-player games. The deposit bonuses are designed for the different player pools, but otherwise, Bodog and Bovada remain the same entity, for poker playing purposes.

The History of Bodog

Bodog was founded in 1994 by Calvin Ayre, a Canadian entrepreneur. In the early days, Bodog was more than an online casino, poker room, and sportsbook. It also was an entertainment company, which included television productions, MMA fights, and coffee sales.

Calvin Ayre says he chose the name "BODOG" explicitly to avoid any mention of gambling. He also wanted the name to have 6 letters or fewer in it while maintaining some kind of personality.

Though the company was founded in 1994, it only got into the online gambling industry in 2000. At the time, Bodog supplied gaming software to other websites. The Canadian-born entrepreneur eventually moved the company from Costa Rica to Antigua, because Antigua had a more gaming-friendly stance.

2006: Calvin Ayre Listed as Billionaire:

Bodog stopped supplying technology to other gaming sites, transitioning to become its own casino brand. The site was a huge success. By 2006, Forbes was listing Calvin Ayre as a billionaire. Unfortunately, that recognition came at the same time that the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was passed in the United States.

The UIGEA was a game-changer for many online gambling companies. Most of the publicly-traded software suppliers and payment processors pulled out of the US market. Bodog did not, because its owners believed its operations were safely beyond the US authorities' reach. By that time, the ownership group had changed.

Calvin Ayre Sells Bodog:

After the passage of the UIGEA, Calvin Ayre decided to sell his gaming company to the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group (MMGG), which was based on the Kahnawake Reservation near Montreal, Quebec.

MMGG continued to own the Bodog brand until 2011 when it migrated its many American customers to Bovada.lv. Its European customers were moved to Bodog.eu. Eventually, Bodog Casino became a Canada-only company. Morris Mohawk Gaming Group announced in June 2011 it would no longer have any connection to BodogBrand.com. The many changes in the domain were due to interference by the United States government.

Troubles with US Authorities:

Bodog's troubles with US authorities began as soon as the UIGEA went into effect on December 31, 2006. A US federal court seized the Bodog domain in 2007 and awarded control of the domain to 1st Technology LLC.

1st Technology claimed Bodog had pirated its technology, which likely was a specious claim. 1st Technology has a reputation as a "patent troll" because it also brought similar patent cases against Facebook and Pandora. MMGG came to an agreement with 1st Technology in 2009, which brought their legal dispute to an end and gave Bodog its domains back.

In February 2012, the US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) and a federal court in the State of Maryland seized the domain of Bodog. It was learned the site was dormant and it belonged to a company based out of Antigua. Because the WTO has ruled repeatedly that Antigua has the right to allow gambling companies to accept American play on its islands, the US government could do nothing more to the Bodog brand.

These days, the Bodog Brand includes three main sites: Bodog.eu in the Canadian market, Bovada in the US market, and Bodog88 in the Asian market. Despite attempts by American officials to poison the well, it remains one of the leading gaming sites on the Internet.