Bodog88 Review: Is This Asian Gambling Site Legit?

The Bodog88 online poker room, casino, and sportsbook was created to cater to the Asian market. It happily accepts customers from China, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

Bodog88 has ceased opeations as of September 28th, 2020.

Bodog88 is a part of the Bodog-branded gaming empire, which has its roots in the sportsbook of the same name that opened its doors under the direction of now-billionaire Calvin Ayre around the year 2000. This group of companies has long demonstrated its savviness in running fair games while keeping payment waiting times to a minimum regardless of many attempts by governments to interfere in their operations.

The Bodog88 poker division belongs to the PaiWangLuo Network, one of the largest poker providers in the world. Unfortunately, Bodog88 is not really meant for North Americans, South Americans, Australians, or Latin Americans, and it doesn't allow people from these parts of the world to register for new accounts. Nevertheless, Canadians and Latin Americans can get into the same PWL Network games by playing at Bodog.com/Bodog.eu. USAers and Aussies meanwhile are served by Ignition Casino, and Americans additionally can try out Bovada.lv.

Though the product menu of Bodog88 contains a sportsbook, several live casinos, and traditional online casino games, we know that as a reader of ProfessionalRakeback, you're probably most intrigued by the poker possibilities provided. Therefore, we'll start off with a Bodog88 poker review and then proceed to the other gambling options later on.

Bodog88 Poker Overview

The Bodog88 poker platform adheres to the “Recreational Player Model” that first debuted on Bodog and Bovada in 2011. This business philosophy puts the priority on novices, casual players, and part-time gamblers rather than serious, dedicated poker pros.

Part of this model involves anonymized tables wherein users are identified solely by a randomly generated player number rather than by a screenname. This prevents anyone from tracking his or her opponents beyond a single session and being able to follow them from table to table.

Another important aspect of this newbie-friendly poker room is the lack of a standard lobby displaying all tables available at every blind level on offer. Instead, you must go through a Quick Seat interface where you select the type of game and stakes that you wish to play, and the software automatically puts you in a matching game.

In keeping with this mindset, there's a lack of rakeback, reload bonuses, VIP perks, and the other bankroll-boosting promos that poker fanatics have come to expect at their online poker stamping grounds.

Some experienced poker grinders may lambast these decisions because they make tracking programs, table selection, and the other tools that these pros utilize impractical or impossible while failing to deliver much in the way of rewards. Yet, Bodog88 does ensure the profitability of skilled poker sharks albeit in a roundabout way.

You see, rakeback, rewards programs, loyalty clubs, and similar arrangements only really make any sense if there's the right level of poker action to support them. In any case, they're best viewed as a secondary means of enhancing your bottom line, which should be principally determined by your results at the tables.

And your results at the tables should be very good indeed at Bodog88 because the recreational-first thought process of management has led to some exceptionally soft games. At the same time, there's enough game player liquidity that you won't have to wait too long for a game to start.

As long as you can put in enough volume and possess even a modicum of poker talent, the extra money you win from your adversaries should more than compensate for the lack of a typical rewards structure and the absence of cardshark-friendly software features.

Bodog88 Games and Traffic

As the eighth-largest internet poker organization in the world, according to publicly available traffic figures, the PaiWangLuo Network and, by extension, Bodog88 is able to spread a wider variety of game formats than most of its competitors.

Beyond NLHE, PLO, PLO/8, and LHE games conducted in the normal fashion, there's also fast-fold Zone Poker. Zone is the perfect way to see a lot of hands in a short period of time because it really quickens the pace of gameplay, just like in the similar Zoom Poker games at PokerStars or Boost at the Chico Poker Network.

The sit-n-go lobby is also fairly robust with contests firing up every couple of minutes for stakes low, high, and in between. The latest poker innovation to hit Bodog88 is Jackpot Sit & Go, a lottery-style competition where the prize pool is a randomly determined multiple of the amount paid to buy into the SNG.

As far as tournaments are concerned, you have a pretty wide selection of guaranteed events to partake in with buyins ranging from just a dollar or so up to high-roller events costing hundreds of dollars to enter. There's a $150,000 Guaranteed event every Monday morning and occasional tournament series that boast prize pools in the millions.

So you can play normal cash games, Zone fast-fold poker, standard sit n' goes, lottery sit-and-goes, weekly multi-table tournaments, and special MTTs that are part of recurring series: all for whatever stakes that you feel most comfortable with. Beyond the poker games, there are also hundreds of casino titles and a robust sportsbook for you to bet in.

Does all of this sound good to you? If so, then follow the instructions below to sign up for Bodog88 Poker today!

STEP 1:  Clear the cookies in your web browser - this is mandatory - you may not receive the maximum deposit bonuses if you fail to complete this step!  Click the correct browser button below for instructions.

Step 2:  If you've previously installed the Bodog poker software, you have to uninstall it now before continuing.

Step 3:  Click on the Bodog button below or on the direct link.

If you use an ad blocker, the banner above may not be visible. Click on this direct link instead!
          Bodog - International

Step 4:  Click the button corresponding to which of the two sportsbook bonuses you want.

Step 5:  Enter in your account information - this information must be accurate!

Step 6:  Contact Us with your "customer ID number" and registered email address so that we can confirm your account.  Players can get their "customer ID number" by emailing support or contacting them through Live Chat.

Step 7:  Deposit and enjoy! There are several deposit methods available; however, Professional Rakeback recommends that all players transact using crypto-currency for access to large and fast payouts. If you think it's a hassle to learn how to use Bitcoin, think again! Check out our Bitcoin gambling guide for step-by-step help, with screenshots, on setting up your BTC wallets. For assistance using Bitcoin Cash, head over to our BCH gambling and poker overview.

HUD:  Do you want to use a HUD when playing? Sadly, the terms and conditions of Bodog are restrictive, and very few HUD programs are allowed. In fact, only two of them appear to have avoided censure while delivering compatibility with the Bodog88 poker room. Holdem Indicator has native support for PWL Network games, and it even works in Zone Poker games. Professional Rakeback offers an exclusive 10% discount on Holdem Indicator (and iHoldem Indicator for you Mac users) to our visitors.  If you're interested in learning more about this software, head over to our software page. If you want to buy it now, with a ten percent discount off the retail price of $99 USD, then click here for PC and here for Mac. 

PokerTracker 4 is the second option for Bodog88 users who wish to benefit from a HUD while playing. It doesn't work with the poker site natively, but the company has produced a free-to-download hand grabber that enables this functionality. Read our review of PokerTracker 4 to find out more about it.

Do you want to learn more about the details of the Bodog88 poker setup before signing up? No problem; we've compiled a lot of information below on the card games spread and the stake levels at which they're available.

Cash Games

The three big-bet games of NL Texas Hold'em, PL Omaha, and PL Omaha Hi-Lo exist at blind levels from $0.02/$0.05 to $30/$60. Limit fun can be had in Hold'em format from $0.05/$0.10 to $30/$60.

In order to get in a ring game, you must go through the Quick Seat function. First, choose the game type, betting structure, and table size that you prefer. Then click “Next” to proceed to choose the stake level and buyin amount that you want. Finally, press “Take My Seat,” and you will be put in a game matching the criteria you've selected.

Use the Quick Seat Feature to Get in a Game

Upon the first introduction of Quick Seat, many felt that it made it tougher to get into a running game of the more thinly populated variants, like Limit Hold'em. There's probably some truth to these accusations, but the PWL Network has recently incorporated a change into its Quick Seat algorithms. Now, if you're sitting by yourself at a table and a seat opens up at a full game of the same type, you'll automatically move to occupy the just-vacated seat and therefore won't have to wait any longer at the empty table.

You can only open up a maximum of four cash games at the same time. This step is intended to reduce the edge of mass-multitablers who exploit the weaker players and sometimes take too long to make their actions.

Zone Poker

Zone is Bodog88's fast-fold poker offering. This is a type of poker where there are no permanent tables. Instead players join pools and are then placed randomly at tables. Whenever someone folds his or her cards, that person is brought right away to a new table to start a new hand.

Because there's no need to hang around for hands you've folded to complete, the pace of the game really increases in Zone. It's possible to play hundreds of hands per hour.

You can sample the Zone gameplay at the following stakes:

• NLHE: $0.02/$0.05, $0.10/$0.25, $0.25/$0.50, $1/$2, $2.50/$5.00
• PLO: $0.10/$0.25, $0.75/$1.50
• PLO/8: $0.05/$0.10, $0.25/$0.50

The Zone Poker Lobby

All Zone Poker tables are 6-max. When looking in the Zone lobby, you can see the average pot size, players per flop percentage, and number of players active in every pool. However, if there are more than 50 participants in any given Zone pool, that number is shown instead as “50+.”

Sit and Gos

Valid SNG buyins at Bodog88 range from $1 + $0.05 up to $200 + $14. They're present in NLHE, PLO, and PLO/8 forms although the priciest four-card poker contests top out around the $100 mark.

All three popular speeds are provided (normal, turbo, and super turbo), and you have your choice of heads-up, 6-player, and 9-max games. There's also a small selection of 12- and 27-seat multi-table sit n' gos.

Sit-and-goes at Bodog88

The prominent SNG varieties hosted by the PWL Network include Beginner matches, which reward a larger-than-usual fraction of the field, and Double Ups, which are basically the same as Double or Nothings on other sites. There are even Triple Ups that extend the Double Up principle to another level by paying out just a third of the field rather than half.

A handful of qualifier sit-n-gos is listed in the lobby, providing a mechanism for winning entries into big MTTs without paying full price. This line-up of single-table satellites grows whenever there's a special tournament series running.

Jackpot Sit & Go

Reminiscent of Spin & Go at PokerStars and Jackpot Poker at the Winning Poker Network is the Jackpot Sit & Go of Bodog88 and its sister sites. After paying either $2, $7, $15, $30, or $60 to get in, participants wait for two others to enter, at which point the game begins.

First, a randomized multiplier is rolled. This number can vary anywhere between 2 and 1,200. The prize pool is set at the product of the buyin and the multiplier. This means that at the highest $60 level, with the maximum 1,200 multiplier, the amount of cash up for grabs is $72,000.

Most Jackpot Sit & Gos are winner-takes-all. But at the three highest multiplier values (120, 240, and 1,200), the payouts follow a 80%/10%/10% distribution for first, second, and third.

Jackpot Sit & Go is currently only available in NL Hold'em format. The rake is 7% of the buyin sum.

Multi-Table Tournaments

The weekly tournament roster boasts more than $1.5 million in guarantees. They aren't concentrated in just a few events either; you'll see guaranteed contests every single day at price points both high and low.

Scheduled Tournaments Lobby

The most noteworthy of them is the $150,000 Guaranteed that takes place every Monday. It costs $150 + $12 to register, but there are plenty of ways to satellite yourself in for less throughout the week.

Keep an eye on your calendar too because at publicly announced intervals throughout the year, there are major MTT series to look forward to. These series, which include the Golden Spade Poker Open and Black Diamond Poker Open, hand out millions of dollars in prizes across sometimes more than 100 events.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Bodog88 poker bonus was at first only available to those residing in mainland China or Malaysia, but it has since been extended to all new poker players at the site.

Upon making your initial deposit at Bodog88, you'll receive a bonus of 100% up to $1,000. Because all games in the Bodog poker room are denominated in U.S. currency, all the amounts we're discussing in relation to the poker bonus are U.S. dollars. This money won't be paid directly into your account right away; rather, you'll have to earn it over the next 60 days after your deposit.

Portions of the bonus will be credited to you once you pass certain point thresholds. The points that you need to collect are granted based upon the rake and tournament fees you pay in the poker room. Here's the breakdown of how many points you need to unlock each segment of the bonus:

Poker Points Explanation

An understanding of how poker points work is essential to realizing just how good or bad the Bodog88 Poker Bonus is.

In tournaments and SNGs, it's easy to calculate how many poker points you'll receive: It's three points for every dollar in tournament fees paid. If you enter a $15 + $1.50 tourney, then the fee is $1.50, and you'll get 3 x 1.50 = 4.5 points.

In cash games, the points are allocated based upon your contribution toward the rake in each hand. Unraked hands don't award any points. Here's how many points you're entitled to based upon your contributed rake in any given hand:

Now we just have to go over Jackpot Sit & Go point accrual, and then we'll have covered everything there is to know about amassing poker points. In these three-player lottery SNGs, you get 0.25 poker points for every $1 in buyin. So for a $15 Jackpot, you'll collect 15 * 0.25 = 3.75 points.

Poker Bonus Value

Armed with a full knowledge of how poker points work and the number of points needed to progress through the bonus tiers, we're now ready to do some analysis of the bonus value.

For starters, it's easy to see that the full 10,500 points needed to clear the entire $1,000 bonus can be reached by paying (10,500 / 3) = $3,500 in sit-and-go and tournament fees. Simple math shows that this corresponds to an effective Bodog88 Poker rakeback rate of about 28.6%.

It's more challenging to perform exact calculations for ring game rakeback because of the unusual formula for points distribution, but the cashback percentage is somewhat less than in tournaments. Between 15% and 20% sounds about right.

In Jackpot SNGs, you're raked 7%, and you get .25 points for every dollar paid. This works out to $42,000 in buyins to gather the 10,500 points required for complete $1,000 bonus clearance during which you'll have paid ($42,000 * 0.07) = $2,940 in rake. The rakeback equivalence for this method of bonus earning is thus 34% ($1,000 / $2,900).

Looking at the bonus chart above, we see that the bonus is actually more valuable throughout its earliest stages. For example, the first $10 bonus payment only necessitates the accrual of 50 points, which you can accomplish by paying $16.67 in fees for a rakeback rate of 60%. Then, the next stage would see you collect 100 points ($33.33 in fees) for a payout of $20: valueback of 60% still.

As you proceed toward the latter stage of the bonus, this effective rakeback percentage gets lower until, by the time you fulfill the conditions for the entire $1,000 bonus, you'll have benefited from about 28.6% rake back in MTTs/SNGs or 34% in Jackpot Sit & Gos or somewhere around 15% - 20% in cash games.

Points to Tickets

Although they're not worth much, poker points can be traded in for tournament tickets. The rate at which this is possible is 100 points for $1 in tickets. Because you must pay $33.33 in tourney fees to get 100 points, you're only realizing about 3% in kickbacks through this method, but, hey, it's a way to score yourself some free tournament entries.

The tickets available range from $1.10 for 110 points to $325 for 32,500 points with plenty of choices listed in between. Jackpot Sit & Go tickets are included at the same points/dollar exchange rate.

Points for Tickets Options

The Bodog88 download poker application can be saved and installed on both PCs and Macs.

The key thing to know about the Bodog88 Poker software, and the main aspect that sets it apart from other poker clients on the market, is its anonymization. At no point will you or any other player be able to view the usernames of others because everybody is identified solely by player number.

Tournament Poker Table

When you sit in a cash game table, your player number is determined by the seat you occupy. In sit n' goes and tournaments, the number reflects the order in which you registered for the game.

HUDs and Trackers

One of the effects of the anonymous tables is that tracking software packages don't function as they would at other sites. Since there's no way to tell who your opponents are, the stats you collect on any of them would be useless for the purpose of getting a read on them in future sessions.

Actually, there are a number of tracking programs that are compatible with Bodog88. However, the HUD stats they display are only valid for the current game session. Nevertheless, this can still be quite useful especially given the fact that the statistics you collect on your own play are reliable and will help you considerably in plugging your own leaks.

Hand Histories

You can view an in-client overview of each hand you've played right from within the Bodog88 software, but this information cannot be downloaded – at least, not right away.

It turns out that there's a delay of 24 hours before you can save your hand histories to your hard drive. This waiting period may well be worthwhile particularly if game security is important to you.

The hand history files saved to your computer reveal all players' hole cards. By scanning these histories, you have a powerful tool at your disposal for combating collusion and other shenanigans. If you suspect something is amiss, support is just a phone call or email away.

Imagine if all hole cards were accessible to people poring over their Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet hands back in the day? The cheating at these shady outlets would have undoubtedly been detected much earlier. Actually, thinking about it further, we feel there's a good chance that the superusers would not have even had the gall to engage in their disreputable tactics in the first place if it were possible for their victims to so easily obtain evidence of what was going on.

These info-laden hand histories would not have been possible without the anonymity present at this poker room. If you could see the identities of each player, then the information you could obtain on your opponents' strategies and tactics would be too valuable to release. But because you have no way of knowing who they are, there's no downside to showing you everyone's cards.

Rest assured that the company itself can determine which account is behind each player number during any particular hand. If they get wind of anything suspicious happening, they can take the appropriate enforcement measures swiftly and accurately against any and all cheaters. Feel free to point out to support anything unusual or worrying that you encounter at the tables. That way, they can act appropriately if they determine that your complaint has merit.

Mobile Poker

If you like to play poker when you're not at your desktop, then Bodog88 has a solution for you. You can access the poker room from your mobile device through a handy web app that doesn't require the installation of any app.

To play from your phone or tablet, just go to the Bodog88 website and log in to your account like normal. Then browse over to “Poker,” and the mobile poker lobby will automatically show up on your screen.

All the games present in the desktop poker client are also present on mobile. The only annoying restriction is that there's no ability to take a seat at more than one table at a time.

The Bodog cashier allows you to add money to your account by several different means, so you're bound to find one that works for you.

There are six acceptable currencies at Bodog88 that you can choose to hold your user balance in: Chinese yuan, Malaysian ringgit, Thai baht, Japanese yen, and U.S. dollar. You'll be able to choose the one you wish to use during account creation. In case you deposit with a different currency than the one your account is registered in, Bodog will automatically convert the currency you deposit as appropriate.

Please note that all games at Bodog88 Poker are denominated exclusively in U.S. Dollars. In the poker lobby, your balance will be shown both in your account currency and USD so that there isn't any confusion.

The following payment channels are listed:

Credit Card:
Credit cards are a time-honoured way of putting money into your online poker account. Unfortunately, some people sometimes report having problems with them. However, you don't lose anything by trying although one of the other deposit methods, especially crypto-currency, might be better.

Astropay Card:
Astropay is a prepaid debit card that's accepted at hundreds of online merchants, including Bodog88. The card itself is free; you simply select the amount you want to put on it and pay that sum when ordering a new card. This is a non-reloadable debit card, so you'll have to get a new one once you've exhausted the balance.

Bitcoin:
Bitcoin is the most commonly used crypto-currency in the world, and it lets you bypass banking regulations and government oversight to do what you please with your cash. The fees involved in using this payment method are minor and rarely exceed $1. There's no listed maximum value for BTC deposits.

Bitcoin Cash:
Bitcoin Cash was forked off the main Bitcoin blockchain in August 2017 and has since taken on a life of its own. It's now the fourth-largest crypto coin by market capitalization, and it offers even lower fees than legacy Bitcoin.

Bitcoin Satoshi Vision:
Bitcoin SV is a branch of Bitcoin Cash that follows a different philosophy for how to achieve the original objectives of Bitcoin. It began to be used at Bodog and its related partner organizations near the turn of the New Year 2020.

When requesting a payout, you can employ any of these mechanisms:

• Astropay Card
• Bitcoin
• Bitcoin Cash
• Bitcoin SV

Bodog88's website states that cashouts through crypto-currency are processed within 30 minutes. No timeframe is given for Astropay card withdrawals.

Bitcoin Depositing Details

To add to your account balance through Bitcoin, simply choose “Bitcoin” from the deposit menu. You'll see a window appear, like the following:

Send Your Bitcoins to the Address Indicated

This gives you an address to send your coins to, in both QR and text forms, along with an exchange rate that's guaranteed until the listed time. Unlike at most other internet gaming sites, you don't get to type in a value in the base currency of your account and see how many bitcoins this corresponds to. Instead, whatever number of bitcoins you send will be converted and added to your balance.

This means you'll have to perform the necessary calculations yourself to determine how many bitcoins to send. We'd really prefer if the system would do this automatically for you, but this current way of handling BTC deposits is acceptable we suppose. Perhaps automatic crypto conversion calculations will be added in the future.

By the way, the Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin SV depositing processes are pretty much identical to how it is for regular Bitcoin.

The Bodog88 sportsbook lets you bet on a number of types of athletic games, like cricket, football, rugby league, rugby union, basketball, and more. Esoteric forms of competition are also present, like esports and politics. Within the “Specials” section of the sportsbook, you'll see even more obscure events to bet on, like crypto-currency prices. You can choose to view the odds in Decimal or Malay Odds formats.

Depending on the particulars of the sports you wish to gamble on, you may be able to bet on the moneylines, spreads, totals, and all the other commonplace wager varieties. Parlays and teasers allow you to string your bets together to create a longshot betslip that will reward you handsomely should you prevail in each leg of the overall bet.

After selecting what general category of betting you wish to conduct, you'll see all upcoming events displayed in the centre of the display with the odds for each bet shown.

Click on a Betting Selection to Add It to Your Betslip

In some cases, there are more betting markets available than what is shown in the main display. To get to the rest of the lines, click on the number with an arrow next to it to see all possible wagers and the associated odds for any given event.

When placing a wager on sports at Bodog88, you need merely click on the odds shown to add that particular bet to your betslip. Enter in the details of your bet, like how much you want to risk, and then select “Place Bets.” Assuming everything is correct, your bet will now be booked.

Live Betting

You aren't limited to just betting on upcoming matches. Through the Live Betting interface, you can make additional wagers even after the game has already started.

The Odds Are Frequently Updated in the Bodog88 Live Betting Screen

The Bodog bookmakers work diligently to keep the odds continuously updated to reflect the realities on the field as the action unfolds. While you have the Live Betting page open in your browser, you'll see the numbers change and turn different colours to let you know which lines have become more or less favourable.

As you can well imagine, staying on top of the constantly changing fortunes of individuals and teams is a labour-intensive task. Therefore, only the most popular contests are featured in the Live Betting section. Not to worry – from within the sportsbook section devoted to each sport, all matches that permit Live Betting are shown at the top of the page.

Sportsbook Bonus

Newcomers to the Bodog88 sports betting platform are offered a choice of two distinct bonuses. One of them has a higher maximum value and percentage match while the other has a lower rollover demanded before the bonus funds are cleared.

The 100% up to US$168 bonus requires that you roll over the deposit + bonus amount 18 times. The smaller 50% up to US$130 offer comes with a playthrough requirement of just 8x on the deposit plus bonus total.

The bonus is good for 30 days from the time of your deposit, and the turnover requirements must be met during this period of time. Only bets that actually settle before the end of the 30-day window will count toward your rollover.

The contribution made to the bonus playthrough for losing wagers is defined as the amount of your stake. For winning bets, it's the lesser of your stake and the amount you win.

Bets in certain sections of the sportsbook will not count for bonus releasing purposes. They are Number Game, Horse Racing, Greyhounds, Harness, and Virtual Sports. Parlays also do not contribute toward fulfilling your bonus obligations.

The Bodog casino gaming selection is vast with more than 400 titles for you to savour. This is even a wider choice of games than is present at fellow PWL Network websites Bodog.com, Bodog.eu, Bovada.lv, and IgnitionCasino.eu.

We suspect that geographical licensing regulations are responsible for the fact that some software houses' games aren't available in all parts of the world. Whatever the case may be, this Asia-geared casino site has a stunning variety of gameplay that should leave even the most jaded customer satisfied.

Choose From Hundreds of Casino Titles

It's no surprise that slot machines are the most heavily represented style of gaming here, accounting for more than three-quarters of the titles. Yet partisans of other games have nothing to complain about with two dozen table games, 10 forms of bingo, and miscellaneous other choices ready to go in the casino lobby.

“A Night With Cleo” Slot Machine Gameplay

Bodog88 has gathered together some of the most well-known titles from Realtime Gaming, Microgaming, iSoftBet, Rival, Progressive Play, and other smaller distributers. Perhaps the most exciting titles in the casino, however, are those that were crafted in house by Bodog's own software team.

We've reviewed some of the games in the Bodog88 casino lineup. Browse over to our pages to get our take on some of the most commonly played titles:

• A Night With Cleo
• 21 Wilds
• 777 Deluxe
• Ten Times Wins
• Fast & Sexy
• Cricket Legends
• Andar Bahar
• Spin the Wheel
• Teen Patti Rapid
• Arrogant Pirates

Check out some of the notable games that are waiting to entertain you here:

Proprietary

Bodog has been making quite a name for itself with the fun, atmospheric, and just slightly salacious “A Night With Cleo” video slot. One of the very few online casino titles marked with a “Mature Content” warning, the NSFW elements of the game are actually quite minor and do not mar the Egyptian flavour of the title. Other Bodog-branded properties present include “Reign of Gnomes,” “Fast & Sexy,” and “Good Fishes.”

Realtime Gaming

Since its founding in 1998, RTG has been producing hit online casino titles, like the “Aztec's Treasure” slot machine. Get two or more Coyote scatter symbols in order to respin and collect additional winnings, and multiply your prizes if one or more Chief icons should appear. As with other games in the “Real Series” line, there's a random jackpot in “Aztec's Treasure” that can trigger at the conclusion of any spin. Other solid options from Realtime Gaming include “Caesar's Empire,” “Food Fight,” and “Crystal Waters.”

Rival

Rival debuted something new to the cluttered online casino scene when it developed its trademarked I-Slots engine. Seen in such titles as “As the Reels Turn,” 1, 2, and 3 (all available in the Bodog88 Casino), this format allows the player to progress through an interactive storyline while unlocking various bonuses and free prizes. Beyond the soap opera-like entertainment of “As the Reels Turn,” you'll also encounter in Bodog88 Casino such Rival productions as “Windy Farm,” “Five Times Wins,” and “Catsino.”

Microgaming

Microgaming is a software house that keeps its casino clients happy with the speedy release of new games through its Quickfire platform. One of the Microgaming slots that has received a lot of attention from knowledgeable players is “Immortal Romance,” which capitalizes on the current popularity of vampires. The selling points of Microgaming include the licenses it holds for prominent media properties, allowing it to release titles like “Playboy,” “Jurassic World,” and “Bridesmaids,” all of which you'll find at Bodog88.

iSoftBet

iSoftBet is another slot machine developer with a lot of branded titles, like “Basic Instinct,” based on the 1992 movie and featuring the likeness of movie star Sharon Stone. The atmospheric soundtrack for this game is also inspired by music from the movie. Other iconic fictional worlds that appear in the iSoftBet software that you can find in the Bodog 88 Casino include “Platoon” and “Beverly Hills 90210.”

Pragmatic Play

Not as renowned as some of the leading video slot distributors, Pragmatic Play nevertheless supplies high-quality releases albeit not in great quantity. This firm's most widely appreciated title is perhaps ”Sugar Rush,” in which you try to match gingerbread men, ice cream sundaes, and other tasty treats. The original “Sugar Rush” can be played at Bodog88 as can its spinoffs: “Sugar Rush Summer Time,” “Sugar Rush Valentine's Day,” and “Sugar Rush Winter.”

One cool and unique game that's found within the Bodog88 casino is known as Fish Hunter. This creation is based upon similar arcade games that have proven especially popular in China. It involves trying to catch fish, which reward you depending on the type and size of fish you pull in. Fish Hunter uses real money as opposed to most arcade titles, which are played only for fun. Making for even greater excitement, Fish Hunter is a multi-player experience.

Casino Bonus

Newcomers to the Bodog88 Casino get to choose from two initial deposit bonuses. The first is larger and has a lower rollover multiple, but the second offers a greater percentage match.

Welcome Bonus Offer 1 is a 100% up to US$258 deal with a 16x playthrough total. Welcome Bonus Offer 2 is a 150% match up to a max of US$150, and it carries a 20x playthrough requirement. Whichever bonus you choose, the rollover requirement applies to both the deposit amount and the bonus value.

The casino bonus is valid for 30 days. Only play on slot machines counts for earning the bonus.

The Bodog 88 gaming portfolio incorporates not just one but three Live Dealer Casino solutions. They are called AG, SA Gaming, and Gold Deluxe. The specific games offered and bet sizes permitted vary a bit across this line-up, but the basic idea is the same. You play at tables operated by real, human dealers, and the gameplay is streamed in real time over the internet to your computer.

Try to Pick the Winning Number in Live Roulette

Some of the games you can enjoy here are Baccarat, Sic Bo, Roulette, and Fan-Tan. Catering to the Asian market in particular, Bodog has added the Bull Fight or “niu niu” card game to its Live Casino gaming lineup. This is similar to Baccarat in that the point values of the player's and dealer's hands are added up, and whichever is higher wins. However, Bull Fight hands each consist of five cards rather than in Baccarat, which features two or three cards per hand.

Live Casino Bonus

There are two possible bonuses for new players in the Live Dealer casinos (we're detecting a trend here). One bonus is larger than the other, but it carries a higher wagering requirement too.

Bonus Offer 1 is a 100% match up to US$168 with a 30x rollover. Bonus Offer 2 instead matches only 50% of your deposit up to US$130. However, this second bonus demands only an 18x playthrough. All wager requirements depend on the size of your deposit and bonus added together.

The Live Dealer bonus is only good for 30 days after which it will expire.

Live Fan Tan Table
No, We Don't Know How the Hell This Game Works Either

The Bodog VIP Club grants bettors Rewards Points for each wager they make in the casino, live dealer casino, and sportsbook. Depending on the number of points they can accumulate, users are placed into tiers with the higher levels receiving more valuable rewards. Unfortunately, play in the poker room does not garner any Rewards Points.

The points are distributed according to the following schedule:

• Slots and Keno: 1 Point per CNY 27 wagered
• Craps, Roulette, and Card Games: 1 Point per CNY 40 wagered
• Other Table Games: 1 Point per CNY 53 wagered
• Live Dealer Games: 1 Point per CNY 100 wagered
• Sports Betting: 1 Point per CNY 27 wagered
• Virtual Sports and Number Game: 1 Point per CNY 27 wagered

Everyone starts out as a Novice in the VIP Club. But by collecting 500 Points, one can progress to Rookie followed by Pro at 7,500 Points. Those who can really put in a significant volume of play will advance to Prime at 25,000 Points and Elite when they reach 75,000 Points. Finally, for the true degens high rollers, there's the Legend level, which is open by invitation only.

At Novice, the only real perks offered are the ability to redeem Reward Points at a rate of 9 points for 0.67 CNY and lossback of between 0.2% and 0.5% depending on the particular games played. The top-of-the-peak Legends see these figures improve to 5 points per 0.67 CNY and cashback of up to 1.1%.

The real benefits to the system come in the form of special bonuses, weekly reloads, personalized support, exclusive events and presents, and priority withdrawal processing. These rewards get better and better as you advance through the VIP Club.

Bodog88 provides customer support in English, Mandarin, and Thai. Thai service is only provided from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. local Thailand time, but English and Mandarin speakers can get assistance with their issues 24/7.

There are three channels for communicating with Bodog88 customer service representatives: Live Chat, email webform, and telephone. There's no phone number listed for English telephone users. This might mean that phone support is only offered to Thai and Mandarin speakers.

We elected to test out the accuracy and convenience of Bodog88 support. We therefore opened up Live Chat and inquired about how to get to the mobile poker room.

The support representative was cordial and informative. He or she instructed us to log into our account from our mobile device and select “poker.” This is just what we did, and we were presented with the Bodog mobile poker lobby.

Despite the fact that the agent who dealt with us was identified solely by a couple of Chinese characters, this individual was able to competently address our concerns in English. The only minor fault might have been a few unusual wording choices in the chat, but they didn't detract from the overall comprehensibility and relevance of the answers we were given.

The Bodog88 organization brings almost the full menu of Bodog betting products to the underserved Asian marketplace. The only thing really missing is a racebook, but this isn't something that's necessarily first on our readers' wish lists. In a few aspects, this site even goes beyond the offerings at its sister companies, like in the number of casino games and live dealer tables present.

In short, we highly recommend Bodog88 to our visitors.

CLICK THE BANNER BELOW TO GO TO BODOG88 AND OPEN YOUR NEW ACCOUNT!"

Those in countries that are not serviced by this site still have many other possibilities available to them. We urge our American clients to check out our coverage of the real money USA online poker environment. Canadians can instead head over to our roundup of Canadian internet poker sites. Aussies may wish to click over to our page devoted to Australian offshore poker.

We've tried to be as comprehensive as possible in our review above, but there are some morsels of information that didn't fit neatly into our categories. Therefore, we've attempted to address some of the most widespread questions about Bodog88 below.

If I live in the United States, can I play at Bodog88?

Bodog88 does not accept customers from the United States. However, partner rooms Ignition Casino and Bovada do allow Americans to play at their sites. The main difference between them is that Ignition has a larger poker bonus, but Bovada has a sportsbook, which isn't the case at Ignition.

Is it possible to play poker for practice chips?

Yes, you can try out the poker room for free with play money. The three sections of the Bodog lobby that contain practice games are Zone Poker, Cash Games, and Sit & Go Tournaments. Make sure the option “Show Play Money Tables” in Settings is checked.

In Zone Poker, you'll see play money pools listed in darker text at the bottom of the list of Zone games. For play chip cash games, go to the Quick Seat screen and ensure that the Practice Mode slider is turned on. Then choose your game type, limit, and stakes like normal. To join practice money SNGs, go to the bottom of the sit n' go lobby until you see the contests that begin with the word “Play.” Register for them as you usually would, and you'll be seated when the sit-and-go starts.

When was Bodog88 Launched?

Bodog88 began life in 2009. It's therefore older than some of the PWL Network sites, like Bovada and Ignition Casino, while not being as old as its progenitor, the original Bodog.com site.

Where is Bodog88 Licensed?

Bodog88 is licensed in Curaçao under license number 1668/JAZ issued to Curaçao eGaming. It's also subject to the jurisdiction of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority in the Philippines.

Who owns Bodog88?

The gaming license under which Bodog88 offers internet gaming is registered to Artesian Media with its headquarters in Curaçao. The ownership structure of this corporation is unclear, but there are undoubtedly ties between it and the main Bodog organization.

What are the system requirements for running the Bodog88 desktop poker client?

The Bodog poker software was designed to be compatible with a broad range of machines, and thus, the minimum system requirements are not too demanding. Any system purchased within the past five years or so should have no problem loading the poker client.

If you're using a PC, then you should ensure that your computer adheres to the following specifications:

• Windows 7+
• Intel Core Duo processor or better
• 1 GB+ RAM
• 1024 x 768 32-bit colour or higher
• Sound card to play audio
• 200 MB+ hard drive space
• Flash version 16 or higher

For Mac users, the corresponding technical specs are:

• OS X 10.7 (64-bit) and up
• Intel Core Duo processor or better
• 1 GB+ RAM
• 250 MB+ hard drive space
• Flash version 16 or higher

What type of device do I need to run the Bodog88 mobile poker client?

The web-based nature of the mobile Bodog88 card room means that it can run on more or less any modern smartphone or tablet. Nevertheless, it was created with iOS and Android in mind, and so systems running these operating systems are more likely to work properly.

Bodog has tested its mobile software on several popular machines to verify that it runs correctly on them. They include:

• Apple iPhone and iPad running iOS 7.1x and higher with Safari browser
• Samsung Galaxy S3, S4, S5, A3, A5, Note 2, and Note 4 running Android 4.0+
• Xiaomi Mi 2S, Mi 3, Redmi Note, and Redme 1s running Android 4.1+
• HTC Incredible and One M8 running Android 4.1+

How can I turn on four-colour deck?

Go to “Settings” in the poker lobby. Then select the “Game Play Settings” tab. Look for the “Use Four Colored Deck” checkbox, and click it if it's currently unchecked. After you do so, clubs will be green and diamonds blue.

Why is my balance available for withdrawal much less than my total balance?

The most common reason for having locked funds that cannot be withdrawn is that there's a bonus active on your account. The poker bonus works differently, but casino, live casino, and sports bonuses restrict the amount of your deposit and the bonus money itself until you complete the playthrough requirements.

You may unwittingly have been the recipient of such a bonus on your last deposit. There's nothing to worry about though because you can forfeit any casino, sports, or live dealer bonuses that are on your account merely by contacting support. This will clear any remaining wagering obligations attached to the money.

Be sure to request the removal of any bonuses BEFORE you put those funds in play. When a bonus is voided, all winnings associated with it are also cancelled, so if you play with the bonus first and win, that extra money will be gone after you ask support to take the bonus away.