Bodog Canada’s Heritage

Bodog Canada was launched in 1994 by the Canadian Calvin Ayre. The brand’s background is a roller coaster — it was seized by the U.S. Government twice, sold to the Mohawk Morris Gaming Group, and the domain was ultimately released in 2017. In its peak years, around 2004, Bodog was the biggest gambling brand in Canada and a powerhouse operator internationally.

In recent years, Bodog managed to recapture some of its former glory, but it’s really only a shadow of its former self. Its reputation has been tarnished by a series of controversies, which is why many Canadians are hesitant about putting their trust in this legendary gambling site.

➤ Enduring Appeal for Canadian Punters

Bodog is still a prime destination for Canadian punters. As a token of hospitality, the brand offers a pretty amazing 100% welcome bonus of up to C$200. But even looking beyond the bonus package, the site has a solid reputation for offering elite customer service, a wide range of props markets across all sports, as well as the option to capitalize on four different gambling products under one link.

The question now arises — should you stick with a gambling operator that has stood the test of time, or should you go elsewhere to satisfy your betting appetite I guess you’ll have to read my in-depth Bodog review below to find out!

 Strategic Expansion Beyond Sports Betting

After establishing a sound brand name, Ayre decided it was time for the company to branch into other verticals. In 2004, Bodog added a poker site to its portfolio of products. Quickly thereafter, the company signed a couple of celebrities from the poker world to be its poker ambassadors, which further enhanced its image.

In the following two years, Bodog rose to prominence, becoming Canada’s leading gambling brand. In 2006, the company cemented its status as the industry leader by purchasing WorldWide Tech Services.

 Generous Welcome Offer

Like pretty much every Canadian-friendly bookie, Bodog Canada offers an introductory bonus to newly registered users. After signing up for an account, you’ll instantly become eligible for a 100% match bonus of up to CA$ 200. Granted, CA$ 200 is much less than you’ll find in other places, but with this bonus, you actually have a chance to collect some winnings. Why is that Because the offer comes with a ludicrously low 5x wagering requirement. There is no code, odds limitations, or any special instructions — merely make the qualifying deposit, and the bonus is yours for the taking. Speaking of which, the qualifying deposit is CA$20 when it comes to this particular offer.

 Ongoing Promotions and Referral Program

Your insatiable hunger for bonuses probably can’t be satiated with just one bonus, but don’t you worry, Bodog also offers a full set of recurrent promotions. Since the promotional lineup changes on a daily basis, it would be pointless for me to talk about the promos that I came across while reviewing the site. What I can tell you is that gamblers of all preferences are in for a special treat in Bodog.

The sportsbook currently runs a hefty refer-a-friend promo. The principle of the offer is as follows: After activating the promo, the site will generate a unique referral code. Once your friend registers using this code, you will become entitled to 200% of your friend’s first deposit up to CA$100. You’ll receive an extra CA$25 if the friend makes the deposit using bitcoins.

 Bodog’s Betting Experience

Sports betting has always been the bread and butter of Bodog, and so is the case to this day. The site offers two individual betting sections, one for horse racing and one for sports. The layout of the user interface is very sleek and very simple to use, as all it takes is to pick a sport, find your event, and click the market you want to bet on. The bet slip will automatically pop up on your right-hand side, where you can enter your wager and pick what bet type you want to place.

 Diverse Sports and Odds Format

The main choices are, understandably, hockey, basketball, and football, but there are also sports like darts, snooker, and ski jumping on the menu. The betting markets cover a variety of leagues and events, including the NHL and CFL, which can be filtered further by the drop-down menu that automatically pops up when you open up a category. However, the only available type of odds is American (Moneyline) odds.

 Niche and Equestrian Betting Opportunities

Apart from the more traditional sports, there are no specialty options available except for e-sports. But as a plus, you can also use the Horse Racing section under one account, where you find around 20+ tracks to bet on, including the local Woodbine, Aintree, and the other US, UK, and Canadian tracks. I’ve got to admit, as a slot machine guy, horse racing isn’t usually my jam. But one rainy Saturday, feeling a little restless, I found myself browsing that very section.

Seeing Woodbine, our very own Canadian track, listed, a little spark of patriotic curiosity hit me. I impulsively threw down a small fifty-dollar bet on a longshot, mainly just for the fun of it. I ended up watching the race live on another site, yelling at my screen like a maniac, and to my absolute shock, that horse actually pulled it off! It was only a C$300 win, but the thrill was immense, and the fact that I could just switch from my casino balance to horse betting with a click, without any fuss, really impressed me with the seamless “one account” experience Bodog offers.

⚽ Extensive Sports Market Coverage

In terms of overall market coverage, Bodog Canada is pretty decent. The offering looks limited when compared to 5Dimes or some other elite sportsbook, but they do offer a solid range of options for a medium-sized gambling site.

I remember one time, my buddy, who’s a huge darts fan – yeah, darts, I know – was hyping up some obscure European tournament. I usually jump straight to a couple of the bigger, international books for those really niche events, thinking Bodog might not even bother. But I was already logged in, having just wrapped up a slot session, so I figured, ‘Why not take a quick peek?’ To my genuine surprise, they actually had lines for it! Not a massive menu of prop bets, mind you, but enough for a simple winner’s bet. It just goes to show they punch above their weight for a ‘medium-sized’ site, saving me the hassle of hopping over to another platform just for that one specific wager.

North American markets steal the spotlight, with the majority of Bodog’s clientele coming from Canada. All the popular sports in Canada are well covered, including football, baseball, basketball and hockey. Within each sport, there is a diverse selection of betting markets in both pre-match and in-play formats. Their collection of props and futures markets is on par with the biggest names in the industry.

磊 League and Competition Offerings

You’ll find dedicated sections for NBA, NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA and College Football. Bodog also has a deep betting menu across all soccer matches. You can place bets on top-flight European leagues, including Serie A, La Liga and the Premier League, in addition to UEFA’s most prestigious tournaments, namely the Champions League and Europa League. The sportsbook even provides odds for lower-tier leagues and competitions.

Bodog also offers lines for MMA, boxing, golf, tennis, darts, cricket, rugby, Formula 1, and the increasingly popular esports. You can also bet on political affairs as well as events from the entertainment world. There are even a number of virtual sports markets for those who are into this type of betting.

 In-Depth Event Market Options

Each event currently found under your selected sports menu is expandable to reveal the available betting markets for the match. Here you can find the standard Moneyline (1×2) bets, point spreads, over/under and total markets, as well as a variety of proposition bets like both teams to score, margin of victory, correct score, double chance, full time/half time, and more. Some of the more interesting options include overtime bets, which are not available for every event. Of course, there is more variety in sports like soccer and cricket, which get more coverage from oddsmakers, than sports like cycling or darts.

When you add more than one selection, your bet slip will automatically give you the option to group them into a parlay, combine several (2, 3, 4 +) team parlays, create a round-robin or take up all of the options. This way, you can quickly make advanced bets with a few simple clicks.

 Live Betting Odds Analysis

When compared to other sportsbooks, Bodog’s odds are not particularly appealing, especially when it comes to betting on favourites. Still, there is some good value available on obscure markets, so as long as you’re not spending big bucks on major events, you’re good to go. A bigger issue here is that Bodog Canada posts odds much later than its competitors, so there is definitely room for progress in this respect.

 The Convenience of Quick Bet Mode

What’s probably the best thing about the Live Betting menu is that you can log in pre-match and enable the Quick Bet mode, which will automatically create your bet slip with a pre-defined wager as soon as you click on the market.

I remember one evening, I was engrossed in a Canucks game, live betting, and they suddenly got a power play with a minute left in the period. I saw the momentum swing, and knew the odds for the next goal would shift instantly. Usually, I’d be fumbling to input my amount, select my bet type, confirm… but I’d had Quick Bet mode on since the start of the game, with my usual $20 wager pre-set. One click on ‘Next Goal – Canucks,’ and boom! The bet was placed before the puck even dropped for the face-off. They scored 30 seconds later, and I snagged a quick win, all thanks to not having to mess around with the bet slip while the clock was ticking. It’s a real game-changer when you need to act fast.

 Seamless Mobile Betting

Bodog wouldn’t be able to survive the fierce competition if it didn’t keep up with the latest tech trends in the iGaming world. When mobile betting emerged, Bodog quickly adapted. The mobile version of the website is built with HTML5, which means it will work seamlessly regardless of whether you use iPads, iPhones, Android smartphones and most tablets.

Much like its desktop counterpart, Bodog’s mobile site features a smooth interface and a wide array of betting markets. Users don’t need to download anything to place bets on the go with Bodog. Simple browser-based access will do the trick. Once you reach the mobile version of the site, you’ll be able to explore all of the content available on the main site. This means that you can place bets, fund your account, or contact customer support wherever you are, whenever you want.

 Casino Section

Bodog has a robust casino section with more than 150 different games, from Rival Gaming and Real Time Gaming. The table game selection is quite decent, though it’s not nearly as big as in top casinos. Still, all the evergreen titles are on offer, including several variants of blackjack, roulette, poker, and baccarat.

In the slots lobby, you’ll find all kinds of games, from 3-reel slots and themed slots to video slots and progressives. The video poker department consists of iconic releases like Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, and Bonus Poker.

There is also a decent selection of specialty games. You can try your luck in 30-ball bingo, 80-ball bingo, keno, and a dozen more unique creations.

Bodog’s live dealer section is a force to be reckoned with. There are 30 different tables with betting limits ranging from CA$1-3,000 per hand. The site lacks live dealer poker games but makes up for it with an array of blackjack, roulette, and baccarat tables.

 Flexible Payment Methods

Bodog’s banking department supports several payment options. Canadian punters can deposit funds into their accounts using Visa, Mastercard, Interac, Direct Bank Transfer, and Bitcoin. Deposit limits vary between different methods and are in the range of CA$20-1,000 for most options. All deposits are almost instantaneous and free of charge. On the other hand, Bodog charges fees for withdrawal, which is rather unfortunate since most sportsbooks don’t incur fees at all when processing payments. You will be allowed to cash out for free within the first month of registration. After that, the site will charge you a fixed fee of CA$50 per withdrawal. Bitcoin withdrawals are the exception, as those are entirely free. You can withdraw anywhere from CA$20-3,000 per request.

️ Robust Security Measures

Bodog goes to great lengths to protect the personal and financial details of its clients, taking every precaution needed to safeguard sensitive data. All payments are facilitated via secure servers as the site uses top-level SSL encryption technology. This type of software is widely accepted as standard. I have yet to hear about security breaches on gambling sites protected by this type of technology. You can rest easy knowing that your money and personal details will remain hidden from prying eyes from the moment you register with Bodog.

欄 Excellent Customer Support

I heard great stuff about its customer support team. It is praised by many for its quick turnaround time, efficiency and politeness. After testing the service myself, I have nothing but praise for the courteous and knowledgeable agents working there. You can get in touch with the support by scrolling all the way down to the bottom of the page, where you’ll find the Contact Us link.

You can choose to contact the support agents available 24/7 via email ([email protected]), the toll-free telephone number (1-877-263-6422) and live chat. Whatever your choice is, you can expect to get your queries resolved in the most professional manner possible. In the Help Center, you can find a resourceful FAQ section with answers to the most commonly asked questions regarding payments, account and security, bonuses, and games.