Bovada Racebook USA - Bovada.lv
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Overview
This popular sports betting website has a slick UI and mobile site. The mobile site is actually a little nicer than our last option. So, if you plan to do a lot of on the go wagering, then you may want to check this one out. They also offer some really interesting betting options that BetOnline does not have such as wheeled bets, boxed bets and even futures, which provide an exciting new way to place wagers on your favorite sports.
They do however have some things which aren’t as good. For example, their race rebate is set at 5% instead of 7% like BetOnline. They also only allow for two cryptocurrency options, Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash. They also have less in the way of promotions and freebies.
The identity verification procedure for this site is a little bit iffy as well. They basically reserve the right to ask you to verify, and if you withdraw a large sum then you can be pretty certain they will ask. Even if you don’t fund your account with a credit card you may be asked to provide one for verification before cryptocurrency withdrawals are approved.
This site is also only available in the United States and Latin America. If you’re from anywhere else, then BetOnline will be your best option to wager Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies on horses still. Due to the potential verification, it’s likely not wise to try to access the site from a VPN, because if they demand that you verify then your winnings will likely be denied if they find out you’ve accessed their site from an unapproved country. Let’s take a look at the options that this site offers, and you can decide for yourself which one is best for you.
They do however have some things which aren’t as good. For example, their race rebate is set at 5% instead of 7% like BetOnline. They also only allow for two cryptocurrency options, Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash. They also have less in the way of promotions and freebies.
The identity verification procedure for this site is a little bit iffy as well. They basically reserve the right to ask you to verify, and if you withdraw a large sum then you can be pretty certain they will ask. Even if you don’t fund your account with a credit card you may be asked to provide one for verification before cryptocurrency withdrawals are approved.
This site is also only available in the United States and Latin America. If you’re from anywhere else, then BetOnline will be your best option to wager Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies on horses still. Due to the potential verification, it’s likely not wise to try to access the site from a VPN, because if they demand that you verify then your winnings will likely be denied if they find out you’ve accessed their site from an unapproved country. Let’s take a look at the options that this site offers, and you can decide for yourself which one is best for you.
Horse Racing Options
Strangely, despite not allowing European players to register, they actually offer a large variety of races there. Horse racing fans will be able to wager on races in the UK, Ireland, United States and South Africa. It looks like they actually have a wider range of locations than the BetOnline racebook, who seems to only cater to races in the United States and Canada. So, if you’re looking for a specific track, then this might be the best option for you.
They offer a wide variety of popular tracks, and it’s actually easier to sort by track on this site. Up top you can quickly select from popular options such as Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, Santa Anita and more. They do not seem to have any race information available though, and you’ll need to look it up yourself if you want to know things like the track distance, purse amount, ect. This is slightly less convenient but not a huge deal breaker for most people.
They offer a wide variety of popular tracks, and it’s actually easier to sort by track on this site. Up top you can quickly select from popular options such as Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, Santa Anita and more. They do not seem to have any race information available though, and you’ll need to look it up yourself if you want to know things like the track distance, purse amount, ect. This is slightly less convenient but not a huge deal breaker for most people.
Horse Race Betting Options
You’ll still be able to use most of the same betting categories we talked about before. You can also use the dropdown to quickly filter races by available betting options if you’re looking for a specific one. These include straight, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, daily double, pick 3 and even a few more not available at BetOnline. Here’s some info on those betting types in case you want to take advantage of them.
Quinella
This is a slightly more forgiving version of the exacta. You need to pick the first two finishers in the race, but you don’t need to pick them in order. You’re basically doubling your chance of winning since the order of the winner is not important. This is not offered on every race or track though, so you’ll need to hunt for available options.
Wheeled Bets
Sort of a more complicated version of the last option. The way bets are structured on this site is different than BetOnline. It’s a tad confusing at first, but once you understand it you realize that there are actually more options available to you. Using a “Wheeled Bet” you can sort of build your own betting slip rather than selecting from an existing option. You can actually use this to have multiple combinations on one betting slip. You might use this option if you were sure which horse would come in first but not so sure about which ones will come in the other positions. You can “wheel” them and still have a big win as long as you’re correct on the first place guess.
Boxed Wagers
If you’ve done your research and you know all of the best horses that are running in the race but you aren’t sure who will finish where then this betting style may be appropriate. If these horses place in any of the top positions, then you score a win. Adding more horses can make the price of this wager go up quickly though, so beware.
Coupled Entries
This bet depends on the owner of your main horse also owning another horse. When placing this type of bet you’ll actually win if either of their horses finishes in the top spot. It’s an interesting way to increase the odds. Especially if you’ve done your homework on the stable or trainers in charge of the animals on your betting slip.
Futures and Props
This is a particularly interesting one as it allows you to bet on the outcome of future events. This typically applies to big events like the Superbowl for football fans, but Bovada also has horse racing futures! Usually this type of a bet is tied to something not directly corresponding to the actual winner of the event. For example, you could be betting far in advance of the Breeder’s Cup on which horses will actually qualify to participate in the race. While this is exciting, it can be a tough game to play, and some people may not like their bankroll being tied up for such a long time. Participating in activities like this could take months to get to payout.
Quinella
This is a slightly more forgiving version of the exacta. You need to pick the first two finishers in the race, but you don’t need to pick them in order. You’re basically doubling your chance of winning since the order of the winner is not important. This is not offered on every race or track though, so you’ll need to hunt for available options.
Wheeled Bets
Sort of a more complicated version of the last option. The way bets are structured on this site is different than BetOnline. It’s a tad confusing at first, but once you understand it you realize that there are actually more options available to you. Using a “Wheeled Bet” you can sort of build your own betting slip rather than selecting from an existing option. You can actually use this to have multiple combinations on one betting slip. You might use this option if you were sure which horse would come in first but not so sure about which ones will come in the other positions. You can “wheel” them and still have a big win as long as you’re correct on the first place guess.
Boxed Wagers
If you’ve done your research and you know all of the best horses that are running in the race but you aren’t sure who will finish where then this betting style may be appropriate. If these horses place in any of the top positions, then you score a win. Adding more horses can make the price of this wager go up quickly though, so beware.
Coupled Entries
This bet depends on the owner of your main horse also owning another horse. When placing this type of bet you’ll actually win if either of their horses finishes in the top spot. It’s an interesting way to increase the odds. Especially if you’ve done your homework on the stable or trainers in charge of the animals on your betting slip.
Futures and Props
This is a particularly interesting one as it allows you to bet on the outcome of future events. This typically applies to big events like the Superbowl for football fans, but Bovada also has horse racing futures! Usually this type of a bet is tied to something not directly corresponding to the actual winner of the event. For example, you could be betting far in advance of the Breeder’s Cup on which horses will actually qualify to participate in the race. While this is exciting, it can be a tough game to play, and some people may not like their bankroll being tied up for such a long time. Participating in activities like this could take months to get to payout.
Promotions & Extras
Promotions
The promotions sections is much smaller on this site, and it does not look like anything directly applies to horse racing unfortunately. While they do offer a cryptocurrency deposit bonus, it seems to only be useful for other betting areas. If you are interested in placing bets on other sports like Football or playing Poker then these may still be useful to you though.
They offer a one time 50% match up to $500 which you can use to place bets in the Sports section. Then they also offer 150% casino match bonus which can be used for games like Blackjack or slots. It’s quite generous honestly. You can use it up to three times and claim up to $1,500 each time. Unfortunately, if you’re only interested in betting on horses, then you will likely be disappointed as it seems it can’t be applied there.
Refer a Friend Bonus
Similar to our first entry, Bovada also offers you a sweet referral fee if you can get your friends to sign up. It’s not as generous as our first option though. They will also offer you 200% of their first deposit, but it’s capped at $100 per referral, and you’ll also not get the free $20 bonus which BetOnline gives for each sign up.
Horse racing FAQ
Everything on this website is very nicely set up, and they have comprehensive FAQs for all of their sports, including horse racing. If you’re just getting started in the sport, then you may find this to be a very useful resource, even if you end up going with our other pick. The FAQ gives detailed information about the different types of bets available, clear instructions on placing bets, and even a glossary of terms associated with the sport that you may want to begin learning.
Virtual horse racing
If there aren’t any matches you’re keen on currently, or if perhaps you’re interested in something a little more interactive, then they also have virtual racing. This is a sort of “game” you can play that doesn’t seem to have much to do with real horse racing. They don’t give a ton of information about it, and the results are likely random and definitely in the house’s favor. However, it provides constant betting opportunities even if the real races have long finished for the day.
The promotions sections is much smaller on this site, and it does not look like anything directly applies to horse racing unfortunately. While they do offer a cryptocurrency deposit bonus, it seems to only be useful for other betting areas. If you are interested in placing bets on other sports like Football or playing Poker then these may still be useful to you though.
They offer a one time 50% match up to $500 which you can use to place bets in the Sports section. Then they also offer 150% casino match bonus which can be used for games like Blackjack or slots. It’s quite generous honestly. You can use it up to three times and claim up to $1,500 each time. Unfortunately, if you’re only interested in betting on horses, then you will likely be disappointed as it seems it can’t be applied there.
Refer a Friend Bonus
Similar to our first entry, Bovada also offers you a sweet referral fee if you can get your friends to sign up. It’s not as generous as our first option though. They will also offer you 200% of their first deposit, but it’s capped at $100 per referral, and you’ll also not get the free $20 bonus which BetOnline gives for each sign up.
Horse racing FAQ
Everything on this website is very nicely set up, and they have comprehensive FAQs for all of their sports, including horse racing. If you’re just getting started in the sport, then you may find this to be a very useful resource, even if you end up going with our other pick. The FAQ gives detailed information about the different types of bets available, clear instructions on placing bets, and even a glossary of terms associated with the sport that you may want to begin learning.
Virtual horse racing
If there aren’t any matches you’re keen on currently, or if perhaps you’re interested in something a little more interactive, then they also have virtual racing. This is a sort of “game” you can play that doesn’t seem to have much to do with real horse racing. They don’t give a ton of information about it, and the results are likely random and definitely in the house’s favor. However, it provides constant betting opportunities even if the real races have long finished for the day.
Mobile Racebook
Bovada has a much nicer mobile application than BetOnline does. If you plan to do a lot of on the go management of your wagers, then this is likely a good option. The interface is very slick, and they don’t skimp on options. You’ll be able to manage your existing bets and place new ones on everything, including futures. The quick links also allow you to easily navigate to specific events like the Breeder’s Cup, Melbourne Cup and Prop bets areas.
Summary
Bovada offers a ton of options, and if you’re on the list of their available countries, then you’ll want to check it out. They offer the most betting options and special features around, and they have a super slick mobile interface, making them the perfect choice for horse racing enthusiasts on the go. They are lacking in the promotions department though, so if you’re looking for some freebies to get you started, then you may want to use our first option. However, they do offer some great resources to get started as a newbie that you’ll want to check out if this is your first time betting on horse racing.
