When all things appear to be equal, how do you know which is better?

1. Online Poker Traffic Comparison
2. Free Online Poker Sites
3. Poker Online Comparison Sites

Differences between online and live poker. At one point in your betting career, you might have come across the phrases “online poker” and “live poker” and you keep getting it all mixed up. BetOnline has settled into a nice niche as one of the best online poker sites, offering quick payouts, new software, a very good mobile app, and decent cash game traffic. Although the players aren't quite as bad as they used to be, I've played poker at BetOnline for years and have consistently rated them highly.

In this case, I’m talking about gambling sites and, specifically, Bovada and BetOnline. They’re two of the top full-service online gambling sites that cater to US players.

At first glance, you can see that both of the operators have a full range of real money gambling options, including a sportsbook, casino, live casino, and poker room. There’s nothing out of the ordinary with one bonus program compared to the other, the slot games, or the odds in the sportsbook.

So, it appears to be a coin toss, right?

Not quite. Once you dive in deeper and take a look at the actual casino games in the virtual slot banks, the live dealer tables, and overall promotional programs, some distinctions emerge.

To help you make the best decision that aligns with your preferences, I’m going to assess Bovada vs. BetOnline in four areas to see which one rises to the top.

Please bear in mind that these are my personal observations. Our official rankings of the best US gambling sites are compiled by our resident team of experts and are more objective.

I’m sure that we all agree that quality banking and betting are the two most important aspects of online casinos, sportsbooks, or poker rooms.

But when you’ve got options, why not go for the best in all areas? That includes a well-designed, user-friendly, and mobile-friendly website.

The overall design is a matter of personal preference, and Bovada has received quite a few positive reviews in this area. However, BetOnline recently redesigned its site. Not only is the homepage now filled with valuable information, but the menu is better.

Bovada has you go on a little quest to find a few things like banking and promotions. BetOnline, on the other hand, has everything at the top. There’s a separate banking button, as well as links for promotions and contests.

There’s also a help menu in the bottom right corner of the BetOnline site, giving you direct access to customer service.

Online Poker Traffic Comparison

Printed materials are more of a focus on Bovada. It has a comprehensive help center with a long list of questions and answers. So, Bovada encourages you to use those resources first. If you still have problems, then customer service is your next option.

You’re accessing a gambling site because you’re interested in doing some online gambling. So, betting and gaming opportunities, whether in the casino, sportsbook, racebook, or poker room, are the services that you’re “buying.”

When you compare Bovada vs. BetOnline, you’ll start to see some differences in both the casino and the sportsbook.

Sports betting opportunities are relatively similar. Both Bovada and BetOnline cover a wide range of sports, leaning heavily on the US top four of MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL. They both offer a broad selection of props and futures, as well as live betting.

But BetOnline has the edge over Bovada when it comes to betting limits. Bovada has one of the lowest minimums around with 0.50, compared to BetOnline’s 1.00. However, BetOnline takes a significant lead with maximum betting. Whereas Bovada is capped at 5,000.00 for NFL spreads, BetOnline accepts up to 25,000.00.

Both sites offer a wide range of poker tables, including tournament action. Bovada and BetOnline also host live dealer casino tables courtesy of Visionary iGaming (Vig).

But BetOnline takes live casino games a step further by adding a second one to its site. The “red” casino is dedicated to Vig, and the “black” casino has Fresh Deck Studios tables.

Many of the tables are similar, but Fresh Deck has a Casino Hold ‘em table that you won’t find in the red casino.

When you hit the virtual casino floors to look for your favorite slot game, you may hit the jackpot in one, and come up short in another. That’s because Bovada uses Realtime Gaming and Concept Gaming software, and BetOnline is a Betsoft casino. So, slot titles will be entirely different.

So far, BetOnline has taken the lead in the Bovada vs. BetOnline competition. But Bovada is the superior casino for real money slots. Not only does it have RTG slots, including Zombies vs. Cheerleaders and Football Frenzy, both jackpot progressives, but provides twice as many titles.

If you’re a fan of Betsoft games, like Back to Venus and Fruit Bat Crazy, then quantity won’t matter to you, and you’ll head toward BetOnline anyway.

BetOnline makes up for its lower slot count with a more extensive table game section, though. Approximately 40 tables are always open in the virtual pit, including 17 poker games on top of what’s in the dedicated poker room.

I bounced back and forth with one casino’s strength over the other in the Bovada vs. BetOnline battle. But when it comes to gambling, it’s up to you to decide. If you’re a slot player, you’ll want to state your preference of RTG or Betsoft. Table games are more prevalent in BetOnline, and video poker and specialty options are up for grabs.

Follow the Money

So far, I have to declare BetOnline as having a slight advantage. But that’s about to change in the banking section.

Bovada implemented one little player benefit that could make all of the difference to you when it comes to deposits and payouts.

Before I reveal the financial game-changer, let me start with a little cryptocurrency plug. This tip is particularly for US players who have a challenging time getting money in and out of gambling sites and, therefore, put up with online casino banking fees.

I highly recommend using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency if you’re an American looking to use a gambling website, whether for sports, casino, or poker.

The evidence for the crypto advantage is evident in both Bovada and BetOnline. Each of these operators provides free Bitcoin deposits and withdrawals. Now, you may wonder why I included deposits in the statement, but that’s because you’re going to pay for card deposits, whether you use a debit, credit, prepaid, or gift variation.

No, I’m not being compensated by the Global Cryptocurrency Organization – is that even a thing? But I’ve looked at enough online casino banking menus to know that it’s the way to go unless you live in a country with e-wallet provisions.

When you compare crypto transactions, Bovada and BetOnline are accommodating. The difference, however, comes into play with those card transfers.

So, here are the numbers.

Bovada vs. BetOnline in the deposit arena breaks down as follows.

• Bovada – 5.9% for card deposits
• BetOnline – 7.5% for card deposits

Card payouts are off the table with both casinos. Bovada replaces them with checks by courier, and BetOnline also issues check payments. But BetOnline’s are noted to be a few days faster.

As far as withdrawal fees, though, here’s the situation.

• Bovada – first check free every 90 days and then $100 per check
• BetOnline – checks under $1,500 = $50; Over $1500 = 3%

If you’re looking for that Bovada bright spot, go back and look at the withdrawal fee, and you’ll see that Bovada gives you one free payout every 90 days. There’s also a little perk for new players in the deposit realm, as your first deposit as a new Bovada player is also free.

In a heads-up banking comparison, Bovada is a clear winner. But you have to plan so that you take advantage of the freebies.

Bonuses and Other Promotional Benefits

Promotions, like deposit bonuses, is an area that may or may not appeal to you. Some online players love the concept as it can stretch their betting funds. But others steer clear because the rollovers are challenging.

I wanted to include bonuses in this Bovada vs. BetOnline comparison as they could make or break your decision about using one or the other of these two industry giants.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that it’ll guarantee your commitment in this case, though, as, once again, it’s a similar situation.

Bovada and BetOnline each offer a three-part welcome bonus for new players. It gets you a 100% match up to $1,000 for the first three deposits you make into your betting account.

The top spot for rollovers goes to Bovada. Its playthrough requirement is X25 on both the deposit and bonus, as compared to X30 for BetOnline. But, there’s a little twist to the story.

Once again, we’re back to the subject of Bitcoin, as BetOnline lowers the rollover to X14 for a welcome bonus using Bitcoin. That makes quite a difference in how much you have to wager to meet the bonus stipulations.

BetOnline appears to put more of an emphasis on bonuses, promotions, and contests. There’s a promos button in the top menu that opens up quite a few possibilities for incentives in all areas of the operations (casino, poker, sports, etc.).

In addition to bonuses, contests are also more prevalent with BetOnline. They’re primarily sportsbook-related and seasonal, but the contests button is also in the main menu, so you can take a peek whenever you visit BetOnline.

Free Online Poker Sites

BetOnline has been around for a decade longer than Bovada. But with its recent makeover, it’s far from looking dated. I don’t think that you’ll be disappointed with either service, regardless of your game of choice.

It’s a tight competition with Bovada vs. BetOnline, and that’s a good thing for players, as you can’t go wrong either way. They both accept cards, Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies. The two providers cover the gamut with sports, racing, e-sports, poker, casino, and live casino gaming.

Additionally, BetOnline and Bovada welcome new players with three deposit matches and other promotional opportunities throughout the year.

My goal was to determine which of the two rose to the top in the Bovada vs. BetOnline competition, and I didn’t know which one it would be until I broke it all down into sections.

Now that the results are in, I find that BetOnline has an ever so slight edge over Bovada in all areas except banking and the number of slot games.

If you’re not going to use cryptocurrency, then Bovada is the only way to go to avoid payout fees, as it provides one free check every quarter.

I prefer the BetOnline menu to Bovada, though, as more information is front and center. Customer service is more comfortable to access with BetOnline, and it also provides more bonus opportunities as compared to Bovada.

Whether you agree or not, one thing is for certain. These two sites both deserve their place among the top US gambling sites. Why not join both?

If you’re looking for the best place to play poker games, start at the poker sites with the highest traffic. While the amount of players doesn’t always directly correlate to a quality experience, it’s usually a good indication that a particular site is doing something right. You can find in this article the highest poker sites traffic.

In this article, we’ll look at the 10 sites that currently draw the largest number of customers on a daily basis.

I’ll compare these rankings to 2006, giving you a greater perspective on the ever-changing nature of the business. For U.S. players, I’ll also detail the leading sites that accept American customers. To wrap things up, we’ll examine some of the reasons why one poker site might perform better than another.

Win at the best poker sites with the highest traffic

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Poker Sites with Most Player Traffic – Highest Poker Room Traffic

So which poker sites traffic are high enough to be the most popular? The answer varies depending on state, country, or province. But the most reliable indication is the total amount of traffic within a certain period of time. After consulting with PokerScout, a page that tracks such data on a daily basis, I’ve determined that the following poker rooms get the most consistent traffic (as of this writing).

• PokerStars.it
• MPN
• PokerStars.es
• Adjarabet

The Changing Face of Online Poker

By way of comparison, let’s look at the top poker sites from 2006 (based on the overall market share) to see how the industry has shifted over the course of a decade.

• PartyPoker – 21.32%
• PokerStars – 18.09%
• Full Tilt Poker – 7.60%
• Ongame Network – 6.43%
• Ultimate Bet – 4.70%

• Microgaming Poker Network – 4.52%
• Cryptologic Network – 4.49%
• Paradise – 4.47%
• Bodog – 3.72%
• IPN (Boss Media) – 3.72%

After comparing the data from 2006 and 2016, it should become obvious that a lot has changed within the online poker industry. That’s not surprising, especially since Black Friday and its subsequent fallout didn’t take place until 2011.

Poker Online Comparison Sites

Two of the leaders from 2006 (Cryptologic Network and Paradise Poker) are no longer in operation, and they once accounted for a combined 8.96% of the market. PartyPoker dropped from first to sixth over a ten-year period, while PokerStars moved up from second place to capture the top spot.

PokerStars currently rules the world of online card rooms, with their main site and two international offshoots currently ranking first, seventh, and ninth. 888Poker has also made great strides, rising from 11th in 2006 to second in 2016, but have dropped to third place in 2018.

Top Poker Sites for U.S. Players

When you factor in poker sites traffic that accept American players, the rankings once again shift dramatically. Some leading sites, handling real money online poker, continue to steer clear of the U.S. market due to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, while some sites rank in the top 10 despite only being offered within the borders of a specific state. With an increasing number of U.S. states looking to offer licensed online gaming, you can expect this list to look much different within a few years, making it easier to find the best online poker sites for real money as easy as looking up a grocery store on Google.

US Poker Sites with Highest Traffic

• Top Ranked:Bovada (PaiWangLuo)
• #2 Network: Winning – Americas Cardroom
• #3 US Poker: Chico Network – BetOnline Poker and SportsBetting.ag

Other High Traffic Poker Networks:

• Merge
• WSOP NV/DE Lottery (only available in Nevada and Delaware)
• PokerStars (available only in New Jersey)
• WSOP/888 (only available in New Jersey)

• Equity
• Party Borgata (only available in New Jersey)
• SWCPoker.eu

Reasons To Use Poker Sites with High Traffic

While poker sites succeed for a variety of reasons, most of them have a few things in common. In this section, we’ll look at some of the most common ingredients for a successful Internet card room.

Bonus Money – While there’s no such thing as free money for signing up with an online card room, a lot of popular sites do give players access to bonus funds that can later be converted into real cash. Before you sign up with a website based on such a promotional offer, just make sure to read the terms and conditions to avoid any surprises. All of the largest poker sites are with real money and they tend to be the best in terms of security.

Player Pool – The larger the site, the bigger the pool of players. This provides customers with a larger group of opposition, which often leads to bigger tournaments and payouts. For those who like to prey on novice players, it also guarantees a larger number of fish.

Fish players – The poker sites with highest traffic tend to have players with less experience and so, a shark can easily gobble them up. For you this means that, as a site gets bigger the easier it tends to be to earn money as long as you detect the fish players.

Reputation for Honesty – If a site can’t be trusted to pay winners in a timely manner, then word is sure to get out within the poker-playing community. When this happens, business often decreases at a rapid pace.

Game Selection – While casual players are usually satisfied with Texas Hold’em, serious gamblers sometimes prefer other forms of poker. By offering a wide selection of card games, a site can attract a larger number of clients.

Rakeback – In order to maintain customer loyalty, poker sites often return a certain amount of the rake to players. This practice has been compared to offering comps at land-based casinos.

Conclusion

Online poker is an ever-changing industry, and the intense competition has resulted in a number of fluctuations within a ten-year period. While sites such as PokerStars and PartyPoker have been consistently strong performers, others have suffered massive drops in popularity or even been driven into extinction. By 2026, I’m sure the Internet poker landscape is bound to reflect an equal number of changes. If you ever want to check out the traffic volume for popular online poker sites you can always visit PokerScout.