2021 BoVegas Casino Review: Can They Be Trusted?

BoVegas is a US-friendly online casino, although they also accept most other nations.
Their gaming software is provided entirely by Realtime Gaming, one of the best-known names
in the world of virtual gambling. The site was launched in 2017, and its gaming license is
provided by the jurisdiction of Curacao, Netherlands Antilles.

Initial Impressions of Bovegas

This casino is a relative newcomer to the world of online gambling, so my
experience with them has been limited. In the interest of keeping you informed,
however, I’ve put together a brief list of some of the positive and negative
points that I’ve noticed about Bovegas.

No Deposit Bonuses

These award the player a bonus amount without first
requiring them to make a deposit. In order to satisfy the wagering
requirement, the customer must bet 50x the bonus for slot or card games, and
60x for roulette games.

Free Chips

The player is able to claim a free chip and then wager it
on the game of their choice. Multiple free chips cannot be requested
consecutively, and the following wagering requirements apply: 40x the bonus
amount for slot games, 45x the amount for card games, or 60x for roulette.

Matching Bonuses

When the player makes a deposit, the casino rewards
them with a matching sum of money. The wagering requirements are based on
both the deposit and the bonus, and they include the following: 30x for slot
games and 35x for card games. Please note that roulette games do not count
towards satisfying this wagering requirement.

Weekly Cashback

If you fall into a certain player class, you may be
eligible for a cashback award based on your deposits for the previous week.
The player must have an active balance under $10, and they can’t have
requested any withdrawals in the past seven days. This bonus has a 45x
requirement for slots, 50x for card games, and 60x for roulette.

Comp Points

Like most Realtime casinos, Bovegas offers a comp program
to customers. A single comp point is awarded for each $10 in wagers, and 100
points can be redeemed for $1. Matching bonuses cannot be claimed on top of
comp points, and those taking part in the VIP program may be eligible for
more points per wager.

The bonus amounts offered by BoVegas are comparable to those found at most
virtual casinos. The presence of roulette in many of the categories, however, is
a welcome change of pace. Sure, you’ll have to wager more money in order to
satisfy the requirements, but that’s preferable to not having it as an option at
all.

Banking Options

When dealing with US-friendly casinos, I usually expect to find a small
number of deposit and withdrawal options. That’s not the case with BoVegas,
though, as they include a respectable number of choices for the convenience of
their customers.

Deposit Options

For those making a deposit, the following options are available:

Withdrawal Options

When it’s time to make a withdrawal, you’ll have five options to choose from.
All payments are processed within seven to 10 business days, although there may
also be a 96-hour hold time on winnings. The latter is not at all to my liking,
as it seems like nothing more than a stalling tactic meant to get players to
wager their winnings at the casino.

The account verification process is a real hassle. While most casinos might
do this a single time, there’s evidence that BoVegas can force players to jump
through these humps whenever they feel like it. I suppose they think customers
might give up and just wager the money instead, which I find to be a pretty
sorry way to run a business.

Table Games

RTG offers all the table games you would expect to find from an online
casino, and each title includes crisp sound effects and graphics. While the
roster may change on occasion, these are the games currently available from the
site:

• Baccarat
• Caribbean Draw Poker
• Blackjack
• Caribbean Hold’em
• Caribbean Stud Poker
• Craps
• European Blackjack
• European Roulette
• Face Up 21
• Let’Em Ride
• Match Play 21
• Pai Gow
• Perfect Pairs
• Pontoon
• Red Dog
• Suit’Em Up
• Super 21
• Texas Hold’em Bonus
• Tri Card Poker
• Vegas Three Card Rummy
• War

As you might have noticed, the greatest emphasis is placed on the game of
blackjack and its variants. The standard version and Perfect Pairs Blackjack
offer the best returns at 99.46%, while the least is Super 21 at 98.94%. I also
recommend Match Play 21, as it provides an expected return of 99.27%.

If you prefer to avoid games with a lousy house edge, then I suggest making a
note of Let’Em Ride and its 3.51% edge. The most noticeable culprit, however, is
Caribbean Stud Poker and its 5.21% house edge (which has actually been lowered
slightly due to a higher payout on the royal flush).

Slots

Realtime Gaming has always offered a robust selection of slot machines, and
that continues to be the case. Because of their relationship with Bovegas,
players can log onto the site and select from more than 135 titles.

There’s an appealing mixture of games, with both progressive jackpots and
traditional payouts being offered. You’ll also find all the bells and whistles
that make slots so appealing in the first place, including free games, bonus
rounds, wild symbols, and much more.

While each player is likely to gravitate towards a different game, some are
more consistently profitable (or popular) than others. Here’s a brief list of
the slots that fall into one or both of those categories.

• Small Fortune
• Funky Monkey
• Bubble Bubble
• Big Shot
• Cleopatra’s Gold
• Mermaid Queen
• The Three Stooges
• Eternal Love
• Aztec’s Millions
• Spirit of the Inca

Keep in mind, however, that the overall payout percentage on RTG slots isn’t
any better than those offered by other software developers. These games usually
pay back just enough to keep players spending their money, but anyone looking
for a consistent profit is likely to come away disappointed. Of course, hitting
a huge progressive jackpot can instantly alleviate all those worries, so it all
comes down to the customer’s expectations.

Video Poker

Thanks to their relationship with Realtime Gaming, Bovegas has 17 types of
video poker available. Some virtual VP games pale in comparison to their
land-based counterparts, but that’s not the case with RTG products. They have
some rather appealing house edges, and these titles represent a smart way to
spend your time at the casino.

The following games are currently available:

• 7 Stud Poker
• Aces & Eights
• All American Poker
• Bonus Deuces Wild
• Bonus Poker
• Bonus Poker Deluxe
• Deuces Wild
• Double Bonus Poker
• Double Double Bonus Poker
• Double Double Jackpot Poker
• Double Jackpot Poker
• European Slot Poker
• Jacks or Better
• Joker Poker
• Loose Deuces
• Mystery Bonus Poker
• Sevens Wild

If you prefer to stick with the games that provide the best possible odds for
the player, give one of the following a try: Aces & Eights (99.78% return),
Double Jackpot (99.63%), or All American (99.60%). And for those who want to
avoid the games with the lowest return, be sure to stay away from the following:
Jacks of Better Multi-Play (97.29%), Bonus Poker Deluxe Multi-Play (98.49%), and
Bonus Poker Deluxe (98.49%).

Specialty Games

If you’re getting bored with the usual assortment of casino favorites, you
always have the option of popping over to the specialty section and checking out
a few of their games. The last time I visited BoVegas, they had 11 such titles
available.

• Keno
• American Roulette
• European Roulette
• French Roulette
• Hot Dice
• Roaring Twenties
• Multiplayer Roulette
• Magic Sevens
• Lucky Eights
• Sic Bo
• Treasure Tree

While players probably know their way around the various forms of roulette, a
number of the other games may be unfamiliar. I suggest keeping it that way, as
many of them are sucker bets with a less-than-appealing house edge.

Customer Service

Customer service is important, whether you’re buying a new car or getting a
burger from McDonald’s. This also applies to online casinos, where a friendly
and knowledgeable representative can mean the difference between resolving a
question or complaint and slamming down the phone in frustration.

Fortunately, assisting patrons is one of the things that Bovegas does best.
They offer three methods of contact, and each is available 24/7. The latter is a
big improvement over most casinos, especially those that only provide live chat
on a round-the-clock basis.

Contact methods include the following:

• Toll-Free Call

American customers should call +1 347 778 0761, while
British clients can dial +44 203 432 3540. French players, meanwhile, can
get help at +33 186 650 356.

• Live Chat

If you want an option that’s just as quick as a phone call
but gives you more time to frame your thoughts, access the live chat option
by a single click of a button.

• Email

The final and slowest option of the bunch. I’ve received a reply
in as little as 35 minutes, and my longest wait was 1 hour and 47 minutes.
Send email queries to the following address: [email protected]

English is my native tongue, so I’ve never had a problem communicating with
the person on the other end of the phone or computer. If you prefer to speak
another language, though, you might be out of luck. There’s no indication that
Bovegas supports additional dialects, and even the site itself only seems to be
available in an English language version.

Conclusion

If you’re a player located in the United States, BoVegas is a decent option
that’s worth consideration. They also serve most other parts of the world,
although customers in Europe should have a number of superior choices at their
disposal.

Their selection of games is solid, and the same can be said about the deposit
and withdrawal methods provided for players. The waiting time on payouts is a
major disappointment, though, and the Curacao license does nothing to assure
potential customers of a quality experience.

For those who are just getting into the hobby, I suggest going with a more
established brand. If you’re a longtime Internet gambler looking for some
additional options, though, it shouldn’t hurt to give them a try.