Bodog Casino

Bodog Casino started its business in 1995 and quickly became one of the biggest Sportsbooks in the United States; eventually bringing its business online to allow their Sportsbook to reacha greater number of players. Since then, they have expanded to include a Casino section to cater to a wider variety of players. It’s one gaming environment that certainly doesn’t disappoint and follows directly in the popularity of their Sportsbook that began attracting players from the beginning.
While I’ve heard of Bodog, I’ve never had the opportunity to game there, but with such popularity surrounding it, this is one online casino that I really couldn’t wait to check out!

Welcome Bonus and Promotional Offerings

Since the Casino at Bodog has only recently become a major focus, with the Sportsbook stealing the spotlight for a number of years; Bodog has only recently expanded to include promotions to their Casino players. When I visited the site to check out the promotions, their Promotions page was even still listed as being new! Bodog Casino offers all new players a welcome bonus that is quite unique. At first glance, I didn’t think that their 10% deposit matching welcome bonus for all new members of the casino was all that impressive; especially not when other casinos advertise offering 100%, 200% and even 400% deposit matching. However, unlike these casinos which typically set fairly small limits upon the maximum amount that players can receive with the bonus, Bodog Casino offers players 10% but with no noted limit. The sky is the limit with this bonus, so regardless of how much players are interested in depositing their first time, they can receive a generous match bonus to add to their bankroll. This bonus is also unique, because it can be used to play at multiple sections of the Bodog’s gaming options, not just the Casino; though different wagering requirements do apply whether players choose to use their bonus in the Sportsbook or the Casino.

Another thing that makes Bodog Casino’s Welcome Bonus stand apart from those offered by many other casinos is that the wagering requirements are extremely reasonable. Playthrough requirements are 15x, much lower than the 30x or 40x requirements you see at other casinos; and on top of that, they really don’t limit the games that you can play to meet these wagering requirements. Other casinos limit players just to Slots when playing through their Welcome Bonuses, but Bodog actually only puts leaves a couple of games out of the promotion and these include bets on opposites in Craps and Roulette, Pontoon and Caribbean 21 only.
In addition to the Welcome Bonus, Bodog Casino offers cash back options, which are based on the accumulation of Comp Points, which do vary in requirements depending on where players are from; as well as another purchase offer where players who purchase $15 of casino chips can receive $15 free from the casino.

Loyalty

Bodog doesn’t appear to offer a typical Loyalty program to their players at the Casino, but they do offer the comp point system for cash back which is mentioned above, which really is the part that players like me look for most when joining a Casino for their Player’s Club. Features like faster withdrawal options for VIP players and other rewards that are sometimes rewarded to those who join a Casino’s Loyalty Rewards program are lacking, but these are not elements that players really feel like they miss out on!

Download and Registration

Bodog Casino uses Real Time Gaming Software, and is unique in that it offers players both a downloadable software package or an Instant Play flash version of the casino that has some games that can be played straight from the website. While the downloadable version of the Casino does of course offer players a greater game variety, and some minor differences in terms of graphics and effects; the Instant Play flash version provides more option for players who do not use a Windows operating system, since it can be used for players who have a Mac computer.
For those who want to download the software, it only takes a few minutes since additional games download in the background after the initial installation is complete and players start playing the available games. Regardless of whether you choose to play the download or Instant Play version of the casino, it’s necessary to register and create a Bodog Casino account. At Bodog, this allows you to use one account for the Casino, Sportsbook, Poker and other areas of the site without having to fund your account multiple times, which is awfully convenient for players looking to take advantage of all of the features this online gaming site has to offer!

For players who haven’t played at a gambling site online that offers more than just one type of betting (i.e. Casino, Sportsbook, Poker) the central account that works at Bodog works a little differently. Players need to register for it, make a deposit, and then at the Casino itself purchase betting chips using the money that was deposited.

Games

The download and Instant Play version of the casino both offer an interesting game experience with something for everyone, but I decided to download the Casino to get the full experience! Although sometimes I lean towards the Slot games, this time I decided to check out the Table Games first. Unlike some games that have a limited variety when it comes to these type of games, Bodog Casino has a variety that I have to say I honestly found surprising. Since this is one site that is best known for its Sportsbook, I thought that Slots would be about the only type of game available to players at the Casino. However, with 13 Tables in total, Bodog Casino really isn’t lacking anything with a Table Game variety that includes Face Up 21, a fun variety that uses many of the rules of Blackjack with some differences that make it new and exciting for players who are tired of the old version of the game! They’ve also got Pai Gow Poker, which has some unique features that make gameplay easier for players to simply focus on their strategy, since some elements of the game are automated like auto-split.  Caribbean Poker is also available as a progressive jackpot at Bodog Casino which ads a nice twist to a classic game, plus there are tons of Video Poker games for those who like to play Poker quick and dirty, though these games are of course separate from the Table Games, along with the Slots at this casino.

While Slot games might not be the only types of games available at Bodog Casino, they do offer a great number of them for players. With classic reel style games, Video Slots, progressives and even mini-slot games  which are loaded in small windows and definitely don’t have the same style of graphics as the rest of Bodog Casino’s gaming package. However, they are great if you want to get a little Slot play in while you’re doing something else either online or on your computer. I have to say that since I installed the Bodog Casino software, I’ve found myself opening up a min-slot game more than I expected, since it’s fun for passing the time when waiting for something to download, or simply when you need to take your mind of something else for a few minutes but don’t want to commit to getting too involved in gaming!

For those who aren’t familiar with all of the games offered by Bodog Casino, there is a complete Casino School with tutorials on all of the most popular games so you don’t need to miss out on the action.

Customer Support

Bodog offers a leading game environment, but leaves something to be desired when it comes to Customer Support. Email Support is the only option, and players can only contact the Casino by using the Support form on the website when they are online. Finding the contact information for the Casino isn’t all that easy either, since there’s only a very small icon at the top of the page for Contact Us; it doesn’t really stand out!

Verdict

Bodog may have earned their reputation for their Sportsbook, but their Casino certainly maintains this reputation. They’re a great place to play whether you’re from the US or international!