
The long history of Bodog could be made into a movie. Yes, I am aware that there was movie vaguely based on the Bodog founder Calvin Ayre (Runner Runner), but I can assure you as someone who was living in Costa Rica during the time in which the movie is set, the screenplay is a big mashup of different online gambling stories.
Wait…where was I? Oh, right…the history of Bodog. Well, over the years, the company has had to change its structure to maintain its position as one of the industry leaders while avoiding major penalties or closure in the U.S.
I could go on for an entire page outlining all the organizational changes the company has endured since 2001, but the focus of this review is Ignition Casino. Ignition opened their doors in 2016 and made news late in that year by acquiring the Bovada Poker network and adding it to their casino offering.
So, is Ignition just a new player in the industry that saw an opportunity to pick up an asset at a decent price? Or is something else going on here? Well, the online casino industry, especially the part still servicing the U.S., isn’t exactly the most transparent. What we do know is this: The Ignition and Bovada sites are eerily similar in look and feel. The companies both use the same three software suppliers for the casino. And they are both hosted in Kanawahke in Canada.
Walks like a duck, talks like a duck…
Anyway, this is a review of the platform itself, not a judgment piece on the shell game of the Bodog group of companies. Let’s get to the review, shall we?
Well, they bought the Bovada Poker Network to keep it open and available to U.S. players, so I think it goes without saying that the casino is indeed legit for Americans. While there are more complete offerings out there, having the liquidity from that poker network makes Ignition a worthy spot to try.
Another reason that the conclusion can be drawn that Ignition and Ignition are still owned by the same group is that the promotions are eerily similar. Both sites focus on three sets of offers; Refer a Friend, Welcome Bonuses, and Ongoing Bonuses. I’ll review these all below:
The Welcome Bonus at Ignition can be redeemed as either a casino or a poker bonus. Here are the details of their First Deposit Bonus:
If you have a Bitcoin Wallet or are willing to give it a try, Ignition will reward you with a more attractive bonus for your first deposit. The site doesn’t incur the huge processing fee for Bitcoin as they do for credit card transactions, so they pass that saving along to you by offering a 200% bonus up to $2000 on Bitcoin deposits.
The remainder of the recurring casino bonuses are of the reload variety. Some of them are directed specifically to Bitcoin depositors, with the rest being site-wide offers. For the most part, I am disappointed by this area of the Ignition site; there are enough creative ideas for promotions that the company should consider being more active in trying to get their players to be loyal.
Having chosen three different vendors for their casino offering, Ignition has the added benefit of picking and choosing what content they want from each supplier. The result is an excellent player experience which offers high-level content and excellent speed of games. The casino is available in Instant Play versions for both PC and Mobile. You may not find all the games available for your device as the suppliers rush to make all their content mobile-friendly. A lot of casino players are convinced that there are never any winners; that a casino is just taking money from you every time you play. While it is true that casino operators do not open their businesses to lose money, players do in fact win every once in a while. At Ignition, they are all too happy to promote the recent winners on their site, displaying them prominently on their own dedicated web page: Despite seemingly being a part of the Bovada Umbrella, Ignition only offers players casino and poker games. I am a bit surprised that they didn’t at least add eSports to their site as it is quickly becoming a major sector of the industry. We’ll cover all the details of the Ignition brand below.
Ignition Casino uses two of the best Rival Gaming and Real Time Gaming money can by the industry forits game. This is to ensure fairness when players are playing. Ignition Casino is also licensed byKahnawake Gaming Commission and this serves as an attestation to its fairness on games. Not just this,
players’ activities such as deposit, games played, and withdrawals are water-tight protected against undesirables. Also, the payment gateways are safe with advanced encryption that makes it impossible for your financial information to be stolen.
Slots lovers are going to be very happy as they scroll through the hundreds of options available to them at Ignition Casino. The Rival Gaming iSlots provide second screen entertainment, while the graphics of the 3D slots from Betsoft have incredible detail. The RTG slots are not tied into the network progressives, but that doesn’t stop Ignition from offering a ton of jackpot games on their own. With so many titles to choose from, I had a hard time staying focused. I did seem to keep coming back to the As the Reels Turn slots from Betsoft. You should give them a try yourself as you can play the games for free. Check out all the titles available in their slots lobby; maybe you will recognize some of the names from other casinos where you have accounts.
Ok, I have to admit something to you in this review: even though I am often preaching that you shouldn’t play any of the Jackpot Blackjack games in a casino, I am a sucker for Perfect Pairs. I think it stems from hitting a jackpot playing the game a few years ago in Las Vegas, but now when I come across it in an online casino that I am reviewing, I can’t help myself. You can check out what I am talking about by giving the game a try for yourself: Ignition Casino has a full slate of Table Games for you to try; from the standards like roulette and baccarat to the lottery-style of Vegas Three Card Rummy, there is something for everyone:
Some video poker players think that all the variants that have been added in recent years have bogged down the essence of the game. I do not agree with this train of thought; variety is the spice of life, as they say. Now, with all the bonuses and wild card games, the payout tables edge further into the casino’s favor, but not enough to deter the average gambler. You can see what I mean by checking out the Double Double Jackpot Poker game at Ignition. They also have the traditional games for more seasoned players; check out all the titles here:
Are you the kind of player who needs to take a break from the tables every once in a while, but can’t resist just having a simple bet all the time? Then I would suggest taking a crack at some Specialty games in your favorite casino. In a land based casino, they can be spotted everywhere: Keno in the café, skill games at the bar. At Ignition Casino, there is a whole section of the site dedicated to these alternative games; check out this one that I love: There are loads of bingo and scratch card variants at Ignition, look at all the choice you have:
Seeing as Ignition bought the full Bovada Poker Network, it should come as no shock that the poker offering is robust at this site. The site has enough liquidity to offer $1.5 million in guaranteed tournaments each week, including a $100,000 guaranteed event on Sundays. The software is the same that runs the Bodog.eu platform. It has had some issues in the past with connectivity, but overall the game plays very well. Bovada was the first to introduce anonymous tables; this allows players to play without being hunted down by sharks, which is an excellent feature for the more recreational punter. Ignition Poker has all levels of cash games, as well as Sit and Go tournaments to complement the solid tournament schedule.
Ignition’s Customer Service department is available 24 hours a day to ensure your experience with the casino is the best that it can be. You can reach the casino via email through a web form on their Help page. On that page, you will also find a toll-free telephone number. I would always recommend using the Live Chat feature – not only is it as quick as calling them on the phone, you can use the opportunity to ask them for any special bonuses they may be offering. Many casinos have a bonus set aside for players that ask this question, so it is always worth a shot!
This section of my review is going to be a lot shorter than it would be for other online casinos. The payment options at Ignition are very limited. I am not entirely shocked by this; a casino catering to the U.S. market has limited options at the best of times. It seems that Ignition doesn’t want to start fiddling around with prepaid cards or Western Union money transfers.
To deposit on Ignition Casino, you can use any of the four payment options available on the site.
Payouts are always a good thing. They do not only encourage you to bet more, you are literally richer
with them.
If you are wondering how US players can make transactions without being term as illegal, then here is a nice way around it. Use the bitcoin or Bitcoin cash option since they allow you to send and receive cash without breaking the Unlawful Internet Gambling act law of 2006 Since the law is still unclear where cryptocurrencies stand, you can use this for your own good.
The Ignition Rewards program is a multi-tiered VIP program designed to take you on a journey of rewards while being a loyal member of the Ignition Casino family. The rewards program runs on a three-month cycle; you need to earn points in three months that qualify you for a particular status level. Here’s an overview of the 8 levels and what each one offers:
How to Enter: Make a deposit and play! Your Unlocked Benefits:
How to Enter: 2,000 Reward Points Your Unlocked Benefits:
How to Enter: 5,000 Reward Points Your Unlocked Benefits:
How to Enter: 15,000 Reward Points Your Unlocked Benefits:
How to Enter: 40,000 Reward Points Your Unlocked Benefits:
How to Enter: 100,000 Reward Points Minimum lifetime deposits of $10,000 Your Unlocked Benefits:
How to Enter: 250,000 Reward Points Minimum lifetime deposits: $25,000 Your Unlocked Benefits:
How to Enter: Membership to this exclusive rewards level is by invitation only. Your Unlocked Benefits:
There is a Comp Program at Ignition casino, but it is hard to determine the cash value of the points. Unlike other casinos where you can cash in your points for real money into your account, at Ignition, you can redeem points for bonuses, poker tournament tickets, and other promotional pieces. The fact that there is a use for the comp points is excellent, but as someone who likes to maximize my gambling dollars at the tables, I wish there was also a cash component to this program.
The move of the Bovada Poker Network to the new Ignition branding was seamless, and as a result, I find myself playing poker on that site just as much as I did when they were under their “previous” management. Adding in casino games to the mix means that Ignition is providing the mirror image of an offering to players who were Bovada players.
This review was made by: LegitCasinosOnline.com Rating: 7 out of 10