Many people ask of online books are scams. Bovada is one of the largest offshore books. I have been using them for about a year and 1/2. They offer seemingly generous bitcoin promotions, a 50% match bonus. But, the longer you use the site, but the more you can see the ways that Bovada is not there to help you out, by any stretch.
-
- In my experience, they typically have the worst lines in the industry. There are exceptions and sometimes they actually have a better line than other offshore and US books — but it’s very rare.
- They have rules build into their bet conditions that favor them and to a degree that is greater than many other books. For instance, on opening day of 2020. I placed a bet that Max Sherzer would have more over 8.5 strikeouts. Sherzer ended up getting something like 11 strikeouts. And then rain because the game to be cancelled. Now, MLB considered the game an official game and before the game ended Sherzer was substantially over 8.5 SO; at first, Bovada created me with winning the bet, but then they took the money back and nulled the bet. And, I will admit that there that conditions state that it the game must go 8.5 innings for the strike prop bet to have action.
How many pictures actually go 9 innings these days? Almost no one. It happens what? 2 or 3 times a year. So, this bet condition has nothing to do with trying to represent what happens in a game, so what is the purpose of this rule?
Basically, this rule gives the sportsbook an “out” to avoid paying out on bets. It is more likely that this rule will help Bovada than the bettor for overs. Consider, for instance, the other started picture of the same game — Garrett Cole. He had not yet hit the “over” for his prop bet but he was still pitching and had not been taken out of the game. So, theoretically he could have made his prop bet, but we wouldn’t know unless the game were to resume which it never did. Obviously, this is a bet that should have no act.
But, by not paying bettors for results that have been realized (i.e. that Sherzer already hit the over and it didn’t matter whether the game and it then or not), Bovada is ensuring that they will not be responsible for those transactions.
However, there is really only one purpose to this rule– to favor Bovada. And let’s also remember that no picture goes 9 innings any more
So, is Bovada a scam? It’s too hard in early to tell for me, and I will update this page as time goes along, but I would definitely say that they do things in a sneaky way that benefits them. While they give generous bitcoin bonuses which makes them appealing, a bettor will soon realize that they are going to make that money back by slanting the rules in their favor in various ways including the rules for the bats and the high vig in the lines.
I am looking forward to FanDuel and DraftKings coming to my state– which I hear is happening in the next year.