What’s the Best Sports Betting App for iPhone and Android?
The Bovada Sportsbook offers its users a wide array of mobile betting options, fully integrated into mobile browsers. Does it rank among the best sports betting apps?
As the nation marches ever closer toward the full legalization of sports betting, a number of companies are preparing for the future by building new user-friendly platforms for the industry, including the development of new mobile sports betting apps. As a new wave of innovation begins to crest in the United States, existing platforms continue to make their own preparations by building on what they’ve already got.
In this day and age where information travels faster than the speed of sound, sports betting platforms must become increasingly accessible, open, and most importantly up-to-date. Users have come to expect a level of instant gratification that before the internet could have never existed. But, as Bob Dylan once wrote, times they are a’ changin’. And with all this change, comes a greater demand for live betting, to-the-second lines and statistics, greater security and transparency, low fees, and quick and easy payouts.
Most importantly, this means that in order for sportsbooks to thrive in the current landscape, they would be smart to offer a quality, interactive sports betting app. In a media-driven world dominated by powerful handheld computers (smartphones), sportsbooks without sports betting apps might seem like the equivalent of a magazine without a website—doomed to extinction. Granted, there’s a long list of online sportsbooks that don’t even offer an app. But rest assured, the elite operators in the industry know the importance of developing an app to suit the needs of their clientele.
So, which sports betting apps are the best? We can’t tell you which one you will personally like best—as there’s enough variety for a multitude of tastes, but here we’ll explore an industry standard in mobile betting – Bovada.
Without having to log in to a desktop or a laptop, sports betting apps connect you to your sportsbook in a way that no other technology can offer. With Bovada, there’s no download required. You just visit the mobile site and sign up and you already have access to a fully integrated mobile betting app.
Now in order to figure out which sports betting app will work best for you, let’s start with some basics to look for when signing up for any sportsbook.
The Basics of the Sports Betting App
Before simply downloading google’s top sports betting app, there are some things you’ll want to consider. The most important thing is to decide what sports you want to bet on. Sportsbooks will always display their various offerings so it’s important to check those before signing up. Books outside the US may not offer as many betting options for American professional sports, and vice versa for US sportsbooks and European sports. When it comes to books with betting apps, many of them sport a diverse range of offerings for users to choose from. Here, Bovada ranks among the most in-depth books.
After figuring out which book has the right offerings for you, the next step is obviously to find out what their deposit options are. The top books like will support most forms of payment, including Bitcoin. Whether you’re using Bitcoin, a credit card, or an e-wallet, you have to make sure the book will accept it.
Lastly, you’ll want to consider where you’ll be betting from. Many people have a desktop, a laptop, an iPod, a smartphone, a smart watch, you name it. But if you’re someone with, say, a smartphone but limited internet access, you’ll want to sign up for a book that offers a reliable, regularly updated sports betting app. Look for books with excellent mobile apps,—you can find reviews (such as this one) everywhere, and you’ll save yourself a lot of grief. You also have to consider, as the title of this article suggests, which app is optimized for your specific operating system. And if you’re someone who doesn’t own a smartphone at all then I don’t know what you’re doing here anyways.
Now that we’ve got the basics out of the way let’s take a look at one of the best mobile sports betting apps out there.
Bovada
Besides being one of the elite online sportsbooks in the industry, Bovada boasts its mobile friendly capabilities as one of its finest features. And they’re not wrong. Bovada has been in the online gambling industry for more than 15 years. The Bovada Sportsbook mobile betting app is part of the Meadway online sports and gaming community. Based in Canada, the group offers betting and gaming opportunities across the board, with North American sports given prominence, along with a thriving poker community, full Vegas-style casino and a host of other web-based and downloadable games. The company has been at the forefront of online wagering and gaming in North American, pioneering online sports wagering and betting on the move since 2007. It also provides the highest level of pay out in the business. They’re not without their flaws, but they do a good job in the areas that count the most. Here some of the features that make Bovada the best:
- Compatible with almost every mobile device – iOS, Android, Blackberry.
- Welcomes sports bettors from the United States of America.
- Lines on NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, UFC/MMA, Soccer, Tennis, Gold & more.
- You can bet live in-play on thousands of sporting events from your smartphone.
- You have the option for live betting, props, straight bets, parlays and more.
- You receive a 50% free bet of up to $250 when you make a first deposit.
- You get paid quickly. Recent reports suggest payments hitting mailboxes or bank accounts within a couple weeks.
- A Bet Slip feature enables quick and easy bet placement, as well as showing betting options and potential pay outs, as well as providing previews of other bet types.
- Their support team is fast, friendly and helpful, and includes a 24/7 live chat and phone support line. In my own experience with the live chat, they were prompt in connecting me to a representative and the rep was very informative and helpful.
- On top of all their sports, Bovada offers more than 150 casino games.
Look and Feel
The first thing to note is that the app exists within your mobile web browser. No download required. You might be thinking, where’s the app? Well think of it this way. At least it saves you storage.
So, customers accessing the Bovada website from their smartphone are not automatically redirected to their sportsbook app, instead they are greeted by the full, unadapted online site. The full site offers an extensive range of features from sports betting to casino gaming and poker, along with news items, and therefore most mobile handsets have difficulty cramming all of the information and features on to the screen.
To access the Bovada mobile app customers can go to the mobile portal m.bovada.lv on their smartphone web browser.
The mobile site is thankfully an uncomplicated affair, happily free of clutter and distracting adverts. Users are met with nicely designed icons providing quick access to the main sports markets of football (U.S.), basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer and UFC, along with a further icon for all other sports and a further one for in-play betting.
Although the full range of European sporting markets are available, emphasis here is given to the most popular U.S sports, which perhaps explains why horse racing does not initially appear as an icon. Inside individual sporting screens layout and design continue to be simple and restrained; for example, the soccer section appears in a list of available in-play matches, featured big games and betting options for leagues around the world.
Navigation is quick and easy and assisted by a large back button located at the top of the screen. Signing in to your account is similarly effortless via a large icon on the top right of the screen. A row of buttons along the bottom contain help and account opening sections, a home button for the Sportsbook section list of sports and quick access to your betting slip and previously placed bets so that you can speedily review your wagers.
The only possible complaint may come from those wishing to switch between sports betting and gaming. In order to take advantage of the huge casino section and games available with Bovada, mobile bettors will have to exit the Sportsbook and return to the main site in order to then enter the casino and gaming section. Greater integration between the two would have been welcome.
All in all, however, with a plain black background and chunky graphics and font, the Bovada Sportsbook mobile site provides a nice and easy sports betting experience uncomplicated by too many buttons. Its’ simple but effective organization and layout make laying a bet a breeze for the average sports bettor which more than meets the requirements of those betting on the move.
App Screenshots
Conclusion
The Bovada Mobile Sportsbook is a simple, easy to use sports betting app. With a simple layout and design it makes betting on the move easy and effective. If you’re American, it provides an expansive and in depth interface to explore the U.S. sports markets. For Europeans, it provides a unique take on betting. And even though Bovada doesn’t offer the same range of bonuses and promotions as other bookmakers, its introductory offer is highly attractive. All in all, Bovada is just one in a sea of online sportsbooks looking to hook you in with attractive promotional offers, but what sets Bovada apart from the rest is the depth of their books, the ease with which you can navigate it, and the trust they’ve earned by offering a solid product to their customers.
For more information on other sports betting apps, you can check back in later this month as we take a look at some of the other options on the market.
