Bovada: what US bettors should know
At a glance
- License / regulator
- Not licensed in any US state. Which offshore authority licenses it, if any, is unclear: press calls it Curaçao-based; a review site reports that Bovada names the Union of the Comoros (Anjouan). No register was checked.[1][2][6][7][8]
- Licensed in the US
- No US state. Bovada blocks a list of states itself: 17 states plus D.C. after New Hampshire was added in early 2025, per Sports Betting Dime; a July 2026 review-site list also names Rhode Island and Vermont. Washington had not been reported blocked as of September 2025. A blocked list is Bovada's choice, not a license anywhere else.[24][8][25][26]
- Operator / owner
- Harp Media B.V., Willemstad, Curaçao. Massachusetts also named Hove Media (Mutsamudu, Anjouan, Union of the Comoros). Who ultimately controls Harp Media is not publicly documented.[1][3][4][10][5]
- Launched
- December 2011, as the US-facing successor to Bodog’s North American business, then run by Morris Mohawk Gaming Group (Kahnawake, Quebec), per PokerNews in February 2012. Casino.org gives 2009.[9][10]
- Regulator actions
- Cease-and-desist letters from Michigan, Colorado, Connecticut, West Virginia, Kansas, Ohio, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts (Attorney General), Arizona, New Hampshire, Washington and Illinois (May 2024 to September 2025); Mississippi was reported among ten offshore sites sent letters in June 2025. Tennessee fined it $50,000 in October 2024.[1][11][2][13][18][14][16][19][3][23][24][25][27][32][20][34]
Reviewed options regulated in the US
Which of these you can use depends on your state: where you can bet, state by state.
Bovada: common questions
Is Bovada legal in my state?
No US state licenses Bovada. Regulators in Michigan, Connecticut, Arizona, Washington and other states, and Massachusetts's Attorney General, have called it unlicensed or illegal there and sent cease-and-desist letters. vigged does not recommend it. Licensed options are state-licensed sportsbooks where your state allows them, and CFTC-regulated exchanges. 21+.
Is Bovada legit?
It is a long-running offshore sportsbook, operating under the Bovada name since 2011, but it is not licensed in any US state. Since May 2024 at least a dozen states have ordered it out, Tennessee fined it $50,000, and Arizona called it an “alleged felony criminal enterprise”. vigged does not recommend that US readers use it.
Where is Bovada licensed?
Not in any US state. Its operator, Harp Media B.V., is registered in Curaçao. Press calls it Curaçao-based, while a review site reports Bovada names the Union of the Comoros (Anjouan) as its licensor.
Who owns Bovada?
Regulators address it as Harp Media B.V. d/b/a Bovada, of Willemstad, Curaçao; Massachusetts also named Hove Media in the Comoros. Bovada began in 2011 under Morris Mohawk Gaming Group, whose former head, Alwyn Morris, says he sold it in 2017. Who controls Harp Media now is not public.
Which states has Bovada left?
After cease-and-desist letters it added states to its own blocked list through 2024 and into 2025, reaching 17 states plus D.C. after New Hampshire, per Sports Betting Dime; a July 2026 review-site list adds Rhode Island and Vermont. Washington had not been reported blocked as of September 2025, and Mississippi's status is unknown. A blocked list is Bovada's choice, not a license anywhere else.
What happens to my money if something goes wrong?
There is no US state regulator or state dispute process to turn to. When Connecticut and Louisiana told Bovada to leave, both had to order it to keep letting customers withdraw, and Washington's regulator warned bettors could lose funds. Casino.org has also reported an undated multi-day disruption with withdrawals not processed.
Why does vigged show Bovada's prices?
As a comparison point: an unranked column that is never marked best and never linked. vigged does not recommend that US readers use it.
Sources (34)
Check the linked page before you rely on it.
- MGCB issues cease and desist letter to Bovada · Michigan Gaming Control Board · read Oct 9, 2026
- Cease and Desist Bovada (Connecticut DCP letter, hosted copy) · Legal Sports Report · read Oct 9, 2026
- Attorney General's Office issues cease and desist letter to online gambling operator for illegal offshore casino operation · Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office · read Oct 9, 2026
- Bovada cease and desist letter · mass.gov · read Oct 9, 2026
- Who owns Bovada (revenuememo.com, not linked) · Revenue Memo · read Oct 9, 2026
- Michigan regulator issues cease and desist to Curaçao-based Bovada · iGaming Business · read Oct 9, 2026
- Attorney General Orders Bovada To Leave MA Sports Betting Market · Legal Sports Report · read Oct 9, 2026
- Bovada Casino Review (soccernews.com, not linked) · SoccerNews · read Oct 9, 2026
- The Nightly Turbo: Black Friday Principal Pleads Guilty, Calvin Ayre Indicted · PokerNews · read Oct 9, 2026
- Bovada's Canadian Olympic Hero Told to Back Off by Michigan and Connecticut · Casino.org · read Oct 9, 2026
- Bovada now restricted in Michigan and Colorado after cease-and-desists · SBC Americas · read Oct 9, 2026
- Bovada no-go list grows as users in Connecticut, DC restricted · SBC Americas · read Oct 9, 2026
- West Virginia Lottery sends Bovada cease-and-desist letter · SBC Americas · read Oct 9, 2026
- Ohio joins growing list of states Bovada cutting ties with · SBC Americas · read Oct 9, 2026
- Ohio Latest State To Ban Bovada · Legal Sports Report · read Oct 9, 2026
- Louisiana latest state to tell Bovada to get out · SBC Americas · read Oct 9, 2026
- Bovada's compliance with Louisiana Gaming Control Board's cease and desist order marks positive step for consumer protection · Louisiana Gaming Control Board · read Oct 9, 2026
- Offshore Sportsbook Exits Three US Sports Betting Markets · Legal Sports Report · read Oct 9, 2026
- Pennsylvania latest to ban Bovada after it took bets on Little League World Series · CDC Gaming · read Oct 9, 2026
- Sports Wagering Council Takes Action Against Illegal Sportsbook · Tennessee Sports Wagering Council · read Oct 9, 2026
- Bovada complies with Tennessee cease and desist order but fines still unpaid · Sports Betting Dime · read Oct 9, 2026
- Arizona Issues Cease-and-Desist Letter to Bovada · Covers · read Oct 9, 2026
- Bovada cease-and-desist press release · Arizona Department of Gaming · read Oct 9, 2026
- Bovada restricts access to yet another state · Sports Betting Dime · read Oct 9, 2026
- WSGC Issues Second Cease and Desist Notice to Bovada.lv · Washington State Gambling Commission · read Oct 9, 2026
- Washington regulators send Bovada second cease-and-desist letter · SBC Americas · read Oct 9, 2026
- Regulators in Louisiana & Mississippi send C&D orders to sweeps casinos · SBC Americas · read Oct 9, 2026
- vigged's book reviews · vigged · read Oct 9, 2026
- Bovada Online Casino Players Report Missing Funds, Withdrawal Issues · Casino.org · read Oct 9, 2026
- Bovada Complaints Continue Despite Offshore Casino Claiming Everything is Fine · Casino.org · read Oct 9, 2026
- Comprehensive Sports Glossary (bovada.lv, not linked) · Bovada · read Oct 9, 2026
- Mississippi Gaming Commission cease-and-desist recipients (sweepsy.com, not linked) · sweepsy.com · read Oct 9, 2026
- vigged design spec · vigged · read Oct 9, 2026
- Cease and Desist Letters · Illinois Gaming Board · read Oct 10, 2026
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