Bovada Legal States 2025

Bovada Accessibility Status

Accessible

Blocked

State	Bovada Accessibility Status↑	Bovada Legal Status	Additional Bovada Access Details
Alabama	Accessible	Illegal	Residents from Alabama can sign up for an account with Bovada.
Alaska	Accessible	Illegal	It’s possible to register with Bovada while in Alaska. However, under Alaska's forfeiture law, the state can confiscate gambling devices and stake money.
Arkansas	Accessible	Illegal	Arkansas residents can create an account with Bovada.
California	Accessible	Illegal	Bovada is accessible from California. Recently, Californians rejected proposals that would legalize statewide sports betting.
Florida	Accessible	Illegal	Residents can still register for an account with Bovada from Florida.
Georgia	Accessible	Illegal	Bovada accepts registrations from players situated in Georgia.
Hawaii	Accessible	Illegal	Residents can register with Bovada from Hawaii, although the state has some of the most stringent gambling laws in the country, prohibiting most forms of gambling.
Idaho	Accessible	Illegal	Residents can set up a Bovada account from Idaho.
Illinois	Accessible	Illegal	Residents can register with Bovada from Illinois.
Indiana	Accessible	Illegal	Players in Indiana can sign up for an account with Bovada. Indiana legalized sports betting in 2019.
Iowa	Accessible	Illegal	Residents can register with Bovada from Iowa. The Hawkeye State launched online books in 2019.
Kentucky	Accessible	Illegal	Kentucky residents can register with Bovada.
Maine	Accessible	Illegal	Players can sign up with Bovada from Maine.
Minnesota	Accessible	Illegal	Residents can sign up with Bovada from Minnesota.
Mississippi	Accessible	Illegal	It’s possible to create an account from this state
Missouri	Accessible	Illegal	It’s possible to set up a Bovada account from Missouri.
Montana	Accessible	Illegal	It’s possible to set up a Bovada account from Montana.
Nebraska	Accessible	Illegal	Possible to register with Bovada while in Nebraska.
New Hampshire	Accessible	Illegal	Possible register with Bovada from New Hampshire. The state also launched online sports betting in 2020.
New Jersey	Accessible	Illegal	Players from New Mexico can access the Bovada website.
New Mexico	Accessible	Illegal	Players from New Mexico can access the Bovada website.
North Carolina	Accessible	Illegal	Bovada accepts NC residents' registrations.
North Dakota	Accessible	Illegal	Players can still create an account with Bovada.
Oklahoma	Accessible	Illegal	It’s possible to register with Bovada from Oklahoma.
Oregon	Accessible	Illegal	It’s possible to register with Bovada from Oregon.
Rhode Island	Accessible	Illegal	Players sign up for a Bovada account from Rhode Island.
South Carolina	Accessible	Illegal	Players can register with Bovada from South Carolina.
South Dakota	Accessible	Illegal	Players can create an account with Bovada.
Texas	Accessible	Illegal	Players can access Bovada from Texas.
Utah	Accessible	Illegal	Players can register for a Bovada account from Utah.
Vermont	Accessible	Illegal	Players can register for a Bovada account from Vermont.
Virginia	Accessible	Illegal	Players can set up an account with Bovada while in Virginia.
Washington	Accessible	Illegal	Players can set up an account with Bovada while in Washington.
Wisconsin	Accessible	Illegal	Players can open an account with Bovada from Wisconsin.
Wyoming	Accessible	Illegal	It’s possible to sign up at Bovada from Wyoming.
Arizona	Blocked	Illegal	Bovada has historically taken bets from Arizona residents but the Arizona Department of Gaming sent a cease and desist letter to the company in December 2024, though it remains unclear if Bovada is complying. The Copper state launched a legal market for online betting in September 2021.
Colorado	Blocked	Illegal	Bovada no longer allows people in Colorado to register. The Centennial State legalized mobile sports betting in 2020.
Connecticut	Blocked	Illegal	No access it in CT as of July 2024.
Delaware	Blocked	Illegal	Bovada does not allow people in Delaware to register. BetRivers is the only legal sportsbook in Delaware.
Kansas	Blocked	Illegal	Residents cannot access it as of September 2024.
Louisiana	Blocked	Illegal	Players cannot use Bovada in Louisiana as of August 2024.
Maryland	Blocked	Illegal	Bovada isn’t legal in Maryland, nor does it allow MD players to register.
Massachusetts	Blocked	Illegal	No access as of October 2024.
Michigan	Blocked	Illegal	Michigan Gaming Control Board issued a cease and desist to Bovada in May 2024.
Nevada	Blocked	Illegal	Can’t sign up with Bovada within Nevada state lines.
New York	Blocked	Illegal	Bovada doesn’t accept players from New York.
Ohio	Blocked	Illegal	Players cannot sign up for a Bovada account from Ohio as of August 2024.
Pennsylvania	Blocked	Illegal	Players cannot register for Bovada from the state as of September 2024.
Tennessee	Blocked	Illegal	The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council put out a release in October 2024 that it was taking action on Bovada; By November 5, 2024, Bovada added Tennessee to its restricted-states list and began closing accounts and returning balances for Tennessee-based users.
West Virginia	Blocked	Illegal	Cannot play at Bovada from West Virginia as of July 2024.

Bovada is actually illegal under current U.S. law. An offshore gambling site based and operated outside the US and unauthorized by any state or federal agency, Bovada violates both the Wire Act and the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act.
Despite its questionable legality, Bovada remains accessible in many states that have not actively blocked it.
The legality of Bovada may change at any time, as new online gambling laws come into effect. Information shown should not be considered legally authoritative.

Online sports betting is a touchy subject in the United States to this day. There is a long history of illegality, legality, and everything in between. As cultural shifts continue due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s still too soon to know how each system, industry, and sport will be affected by the changes. Online betting is no different.

And even though Bovada is new(ish) to the scene, some states have rejected it.

What Is Bovada?

Bovada is a Costa Rican online casino and sportsbook that came to be in 2011. It offers betting on most major U.S. leagues and even horse racing with slots, blackjack, table games, and many other kinds of casino games. Another feature that has been exciting for users is the live online poker tournaments that can be participated in, from around the world.

If you are worried Bovada is a scam, it’s luckily too old to be. Usually, scam sites rise and fall in a very short period of time (1-2 years), while this one has over a decade in the books.

The Interstate Wire Act of 1961

As times change, so too do culture, technology, and perspective on things we might have deemed wrong or suspicious. And technically, Bovada got its start in a legal grey area because a Costa-Rican company is not subject to American laws.

Specifically, the Interstate Wire Act of 1961 was written to cripple the mob’s influence and ability to move money across state lines. To this day, it’s the most important law that affects gambling, prohibiting the use of a wire communication transmission to place a bet or give a tip about a betting opportunity. It states, “Whoever being engaged in the business of betting or wagering knowingly uses a wire communication facility for the transmission in interstate or foreign commerce of bets or wagers or information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers on any sporting event or contest, or for the transmission of a wire communication which entitles the recipient to receive money or credit as a result of bets or wagers, or for information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.”

The States Where Bovada is Legal

The Bovada legal states include 45 out of 50 states in America. The only states where Bovada is not legal are Delaware, Nevada, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey. Bovada is also legal in American territories like the US Virgin Islands.

Alternatives for Players in States That Do Not Allow Bovada

Players who want to gamble online in New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware have plenty of alternatives. All of these states have online gambling platforms run by respected companies in the industry, such as Caesar’s and MGM.

Poker players in Nevada and New Jersey can play on Caesar’s WSOP.com sites. Poker giant PokerStars also offers a platform in New Jersey. Poker players in Delaware can play on Caesar’s 888.com site.

All these states also have multiple sportsbook platforms available. The most trusted online sportsbook providers in these states include MGM, Caesar’s, Draft Kings, and FanDuel. There are also smaller online sportsbooks of varying quality that are operated by start-ups.

Why Bovada is Illegal in Some States

Most of the states that do not allow Bovada have actually legalized and regulated online gambling. Bovada has decided that they don’t want to follow the regulations of any one state, as this might prevent them from operating in states with different regulations. Instead, Bovada continues to operate in states where online gambling is in a legal gray area.

Online gambling is explicitly illegal in Maryland and New York. This means that neither Bovada nor any other online gambling platform can operate in these states. There are movements to legalize online gambling in both states, especially in New York. However, Bovada would not be available in these states because the company would not meet whatever regulations the states come up with. Players in Maryland or New York aren’t totally out of luck, however.

Crypto-Only Sites That are Accessible in all 50 States

There are also cryptocurrency-only sites that are accessible in all 50 states. Even gamblers in Maryland and New York can access these sites. These sites include Everygame and SwC Poker. Players who are considering gaming on these sites should keep in mind that these sites lie in a legal gray area. There is an element of risk to playing on these sites if you live in New York or Maryland.