Bodog Welcomes Canadian Players

by the Wizard2009-09-09 12:59:06 (edited 2009-09-09 13:03)

For several years, my website has been supported by just one advertiser, Bodog It's a great moment to share an update with you about them. Recently, Bodog has officially begun serving Canadian players . It's quite ironic that they haven't catered to Canadians until now, considering Bodog originated in Canada and has had offices there since inception. But let's not get ahead of ourselves; allow me to explain.

Founded by Calvin Ayre in Canada back in 1994, Bodog's approach was quite distinct from the standard online gambling sites. While many simply offer gambling without any transparency regarding their team, Bodog opted for a personal connection. You could actually see real people, including Ayre himself. Additionally, Bodog enriched the entertainment factor by hosting sports events and managing a music label, setting it apart from its competitors, which contributed to its success. In fact, Ayre graced the cover of Forbes magazine in 2006 as part of a feature on billionaires.

Later in 2006, the U.S. Congress introduced the UIGEA legislation that limited banks' roles in online gambling transactions. Around the same time, the Justice Department intensified its scrutiny of the industry, creating a cloud of uncertainty over its legal standing. This likely influenced Ayre's pivotal decision to alter how Bodog operated. Rather than directly managing the gaming sites, he decided to license the brand to other operators. Essentially, these companies would be obtaining the rights to conduct online gaming under the Bodog name, akin to how Subway franchising functions where the main company doesn't run the restaurants but sells rights to individual operators. In 2007, Bodog licensed its web domain to Morris Mohawk Gaming Group, located near Montreal, Canada. It later also licensed Bodog88.com for Asian players and Bodog.co.uk for European users. Interestingly, just this month, a license was granted to Bodog Europe to operate Bodog.ca for Canadian players. It's ironic that Canadians could not access Bodog services previously, despite it being founded there, and that the license holder for Canadian players isn't based in Canada, but rather in Europe.

There are various websites linked to Bodog, which can lead to some confusion. The situation was complicated further when Bodog lost its primary domains during a patent dispute in 2007. However, they successfully reclaimed them this year. When Bodog lost Bodog.com temporarily in 2007, they swiftly rebranded as NewBodog.com and then BodogLife.com, but they've now returned to the original Bodog.com. Players from Canada, Europe, and Asia visiting Bodog.com are automatically directed to the respective licensed sites for their regions: Bodog.ca, Bodog.co.uk, and Bodog888.com. Additionally, BodogBrand.com serves as the official site for the parent company that licenses the brand to other operators.

With so many different entities under the Bodog brand, you might be curious about who is sponsoring ads on my site. Initially, it was directly Bodog before they ventured into licensing. Since they've adopted this model, my partnership has been with Morris Mohawk, the license holder for U.S. players. I also recently had the opportunity to visit Morris Mohawk's offices in Kahnawake, and I plan to share my experiences on that soon.

While my exploration of this business structure may be more detailed than what most players are interested in, it's worth noting that whether in 2006 or 2009, a U.S. player visiting Bodog.com would generally have the same experience, unaware of the operational differences behind the scenes. The user interface and gaming experience have remained largely unchanged. The most significant update, however, is that Canadian players can finally access Bodog as well.

In this photo, you can see Alwyn Morris and me aboard his boat near Montreal. He graciously displayed the U.S. flag in my honor. Alwyn heads the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group.

I'd like to express my gratitude to Michael Bluejay for his assistance with this blog post; he has a deeper understanding of Bodog's history and organizational structure than I do.

Written by: Michael Shackleford