When all things appear to be equal, how do you know which is better?

In this case, I’m talking about gambling sites and, specifically, Bovada and BetOnline. They’re two of the top full-service online gambling sites that cater to US players.

At first glance, you can see that both of the operators have a full range of real money gambling options, including a sportsbook, casino, live casino, and poker room. There’s nothing out of the ordinary with one bonus program compared to the other, the slot games, or the odds in the sportsbook.

So, it appears to be a coin toss, right?

It’s true to say that other online poker rooms such as Bovada tend to offer higher guarantees than BetOnline, so if you’re looking for larger possibilities than $60k, you may want to search elsewhere. Yet, there are perks to the BetOnline tournament schedule, such as late registration right up to the wire, unlimited re-buys and other such. Gambling should be entertaining. Remember that you always risk losing the money you bet, so do not spend more than you can afford to lose. If you think you may have a problem, click here.

Not quite. Once you dive in deeper and take a look at the actual casino games in the virtual slot banks, the live dealer tables, and overall promotional programs, some distinctions emerge.

To help you make the best decision that aligns with your preferences, I’m going to assess Bovada vs. BetOnline in four areas to see which one rises to the top.

Please bear in mind that these are my personal observations. Our official rankings of the best US gambling sites are compiled by our resident team of experts and are more objective.

I’m sure that we all agree that quality banking and betting are the two most important aspects of online casinos, sportsbooks, or poker rooms.

But when you’ve got options, why not go for the best in all areas? That includes a well-designed, user-friendly, and mobile-friendly website.

The overall design is a matter of personal preference, and Bovada has received quite a few positive reviews in this area. However, BetOnline recently redesigned its site. Not only is the homepage now filled with valuable information, but the menu is better.

Bovada has you go on a little quest to find a few things like banking and promotions. BetOnline, on the other hand, has everything at the top. There’s a separate banking button, as well as links for promotions and contests.

There’s also a help menu in the bottom right corner of the BetOnline site, giving you direct access to customer service.

Printed materials are more of a focus on Bovada. It has a comprehensive help center with a long list of questions and answers. So, Bovada encourages you to use those resources first. If you still have problems, then customer service is your next option.

You’re accessing a gambling site because you’re interested in doing some online gambling. So, betting and gaming opportunities, whether in the casino, sportsbook, racebook, or poker room, are the services that you’re “buying.”

When you compare Bovada vs. BetOnline, you’ll start to see some differences in both the casino and the sportsbook.

Sports betting opportunities are relatively similar. Both Bovada and BetOnline cover a wide range of sports, leaning heavily on the US top four of MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL. They both offer a broad selection of props and futures, as well as live betting.

But BetOnline has the edge over Bovada when it comes to betting limits. Bovada has one of the lowest minimums around with 0.50, compared to BetOnline’s 1.00. However, BetOnline takes a significant lead with maximum betting. Whereas Bovada is capped at 5,000.00 for NFL spreads, BetOnline accepts up to 25,000.00.

Both sites offer a wide range of poker tables, including tournament action. Bovada and BetOnline also host live dealer casino tables courtesy of Visionary iGaming (Vig).

But BetOnline takes live casino games a step further by adding a second one to its site. The “red” casino is dedicated to Vig, and the “black” casino has Fresh Deck Studios tables.

Many of the tables are similar, but Fresh Deck has a Casino Hold ‘em table that you won’t find in the red casino.

When you hit the virtual casino floors to look for your favorite slot game, you may hit the jackpot in one, and come up short in another. That’s because Bovada uses Realtime Gaming and Concept Gaming software, and BetOnline is a Betsoft casino. So, slot titles will be entirely different.

So far, BetOnline has taken the lead in the Bovada vs. BetOnline competition. But Bovada is the superior casino for real money slots. Not only does it have RTG slots, including Zombies vs. Cheerleaders and Football Frenzy, both jackpot progressives, but provides twice as many titles.

If you’re a fan of Betsoft games, like Back to Venus and Fruit Bat Crazy, then quantity won’t matter to you, and you’ll head toward BetOnline anyway.

BetOnline makes up for its lower slot count with a more extensive table game section, though. Approximately 40 tables are always open in the virtual pit, including 17 poker games on top of what’s in the dedicated poker room.

I bounced back and forth with one casino’s strength over the other in the Bovada vs. BetOnline battle. But when it comes to gambling, it’s up to you to decide. If you’re a slot player, you’ll want to state your preference of RTG or Betsoft. Table games are more prevalent in BetOnline, and video poker and specialty options are up for grabs.

Follow the Money

So far, I have to declare BetOnline as having a slight advantage. But that’s about to change in the banking section.

Bovada implemented one little player benefit that could make all of the difference to you when it comes to deposits and payouts.

Before I reveal the financial game-changer, let me start with a little cryptocurrency plug. This tip is particularly for US players who have a challenging time getting money in and out of gambling sites and, therefore, put up with online casino banking fees.

I highly recommend using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency if you’re an American looking to use a gambling website, whether for sports, casino, or poker.

The evidence for the crypto advantage is evident in both Bovada and BetOnline. Each of these operators provides free Bitcoin deposits and withdrawals. Now, you may wonder why I included deposits in the statement, but that’s because you’re going to pay for card deposits, whether you use a debit, credit, prepaid, or gift variation.

No, I’m not being compensated by the Global Cryptocurrency Organization – is that even a thing? But I’ve looked at enough online casino banking menus to know that it’s the way to go unless you live in a country with e-wallet provisions.

When you compare crypto transactions, Bovada and BetOnline are accommodating. The difference, however, comes into play with those card transfers.

So, here are the numbers.

Bovada vs. BetOnline in the deposit arena breaks down as follows.

• Bovada – 5.9% for card deposits
• BetOnline – 7.5% for card deposits

Card payouts are off the table with both casinos. Bovada replaces them with checks by courier, and BetOnline also issues check payments. But BetOnline’s are noted to be a few days faster.

As far as withdrawal fees, though, here’s the situation.

• Bovada – first check free every 90 days and then $100 per check
• BetOnline – checks under $1,500 = $50; Over $1500 = 3%

If you’re looking for that Bovada bright spot, go back and look at the withdrawal fee, and you’ll see that Bovada gives you one free payout every 90 days. There’s also a little perk for new players in the deposit realm, as your first deposit as a new Bovada player is also free.

In a heads-up banking comparison, Bovada is a clear winner. But you have to plan so that you take advantage of the freebies.

Bonuses and Other Promotional Benefits

Promotions, like deposit bonuses, is an area that may or may not appeal to you. Some online players love the concept as it can stretch their betting funds. But others steer clear because the rollovers are challenging.

I wanted to include bonuses in this Bovada vs. BetOnline comparison as they could make or break your decision about using one or the other of these two industry giants.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that it’ll guarantee your commitment in this case, though, as, once again, it’s a similar situation.

Bovada and BetOnline each offer a three-part welcome bonus for new players. It gets you a 100% match up to $1,000 for the first three deposits you make into your betting account.

The top spot for rollovers goes to Bovada. Its playthrough requirement is X25 on both the deposit and bonus, as compared to X30 for BetOnline. But, there’s a little twist to the story.

Once again, we’re back to the subject of Bitcoin, as BetOnline lowers the rollover to X14 for a welcome bonus using Bitcoin. That makes quite a difference in how much you have to wager to meet the bonus stipulations.

Betonline Vs Bovada App

BetOnline appears to put more of an emphasis on bonuses, promotions, and contests. There’s a promos button in the top menu that opens up quite a few possibilities for incentives in all areas of the operations (casino, poker, sports, etc.).

In addition to bonuses, contests are also more prevalent with BetOnline. They’re primarily sportsbook-related and seasonal, but the contests button is also in the main menu, so you can take a peek whenever you visit BetOnline.

BetOnline has been around for a decade longer than Bovada. But with its recent makeover, it’s far from looking dated. I don’t think that you’ll be disappointed with either service, regardless of your game of choice.

It’s a tight competition with Bovada vs. BetOnline, and that’s a good thing for players, as you can’t go wrong either way. They both accept cards, Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies. The two providers cover the gamut with sports, racing, e-sports, poker, casino, and live casino gaming.

Additionally, BetOnline and Bovada welcome new players with three deposit matches and other promotional opportunities throughout the year.

My goal was to determine which of the two rose to the top in the Bovada vs. BetOnline competition, and I didn’t know which one it would be until I broke it all down into sections.

Betonline Vs Bovada Poker

Now that the results are in, I find that BetOnline has an ever so slight edge over Bovada in all areas except banking and the number of slot games.

Betonline Vs Bovada

If you’re not going to use cryptocurrency, then Bovada is the only way to go to avoid payout fees, as it provides one free check every quarter.

I prefer the BetOnline menu to Bovada, though, as more information is front and center. Customer service is more comfortable to access with BetOnline, and it also provides more bonus opportunities as compared to Bovada.

Whether you agree or not, one thing is for certain. These two sites both deserve their place among the top US gambling sites. Why not join both?