Bodog Casino Review

Review of Bodog Casino

Originally established by enigmatic and flamboyant entrepreneur Calvin Ayre in 1994, Bodog has grown from humble beginnings as a software company into an online gambling and lifestyle brand. The Bodog Casino is one arm of a full gambling service that also encompasses poker, sportsbetting, and horse racing.

A recent history of Bodog

The recent history of Bodog is a colourful tale, replete with battles with "patent trolls" and the US government. Calvin Ayre sold the Bodog business to the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group shortly after the UIGEA law was passed in 2006. Ayre established a side business, Bodog Brand, which offers marketing and brand licensing services and he claims to no longer have any interest in the Bodog gaming business. In 2006 Bodog had its domain name seized and a default judgement awarded against it of $46 million in a dispute with 1st Technology LCC - a case that was later settled out of court. The US government seized $24m in funds from Bodog payment processors in 2008. More recently in February 2012 Bodog's founder was indicted by U.S. authorities and the original Bodog domain was again seized by said authorities. None of these misfortunes seems to have majorly dented the success of the popular brand however.

The sale and subsequent licensing of the Bodog brand means that you play at different sites depending on your country of residence. Americans play at a Kahnawake licensed site named Bovada which is run by Meadway Leisure Ltd, but Europeans and Australians play at an Antigua regulated site run by Bodog Europe. While the sites are different, the games, bonuses, and software are essentially the same.

An RTG offshoot

Unlike the majority of RTG casinos, Bodog does not license the software and games. In fact Bodog bought the source code to the RTG platform and established its own software based on that. As a result Bodog has most of the older RTG games plus a bunch of its own creation, but it does not release the newest RTG games as they become available. The casino is available in standard download, mobile, and instant play flash form - and you can try most of the games freely on the website.

As it runs separately to the main RTG network, the progressive jackpots are completely unique to Bodog casino. It is definitely worth your while to check if your favourite RTG jackpot has a higher or lower value at Bodog than your regular casino. The progressive jackpots include well known RTG slots such as Shopping Spree, IRIS 3000, The Shark, and Crazy Dragon.

In addition Bodog offers a large variety of traditional table and casino games such as Blackjack, Roulette, Caribbean Stud, 3 Card Poker, Baccarat, Craps, Keno, and many more. There are also several variants of video poker available.

Promotions and Bonuses at Bodog

Let me say straight up that Bodog Casino is not a bonus hunter's delight. The standard offer of an extra 10% on your first deposit is mediocre compared to most other casinos, and the wagering requirements work out to be quite high. However play at the casino for a while and you will find better offers do come your way. Bodog definitely aims to please its players through quality of service rather than giving away giant bonuses like candy.

Customer Service and Banking options

Customer support may be emailed or phoned 24/7, or contacted via live chat. In our experience the reps at Bodog are polite and helpful. As for banking methods, you may deposit via methods such as credit and debit cards, e-wallets such as Moneybookers, Neteller, and Click2Pay, as well as cheques and bank wires (see full list in casino data on this page). Most importantly payments are quick and hassle free. In particular there are few better options for American players at the moment when it comes to fast and friendly transaction processing.

Overall Bodog is one of the better options available for American players at the moment. The payment processing is quick and reliable, and the service is good. The case is less compelling for European players who have a wider choice, but Bodog is still worth a look if you are interested to see what all the fuss is about.