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Sports book, online casino, poker room and all-around entertainment company Bodog has applied for license to operate in the UK. Such licenses are required of all online gambling companies that wish to enter the newly regulated market, under the 2005 Gambling Act. UK License License to operate in the UK means access to one of the central markets in the world. Since passing the new regulations, the UK has become an example for how to regulate a market. It has also become a valuable market for gambling site operators. On the other hand, many companies have actually boycotted the UK, mainly for the 15% gambling tax it enforces. Bodog will now have to pass an operator’s test. Its license application is still pending, according to the Gambling Commission. Bodog International The move to the UK is another chapter in Bodog’s cross border adventures. Bodog Entertainment is headquartered in Antigua, licensed in Kahnawake among other places, and used to focus on the American market. Its US operations have faltered since the ban on online gambling passed late in 2006. Currently, Bodog no longer operates in the US, though is said to still take bets from US players. With the UK license begins Bodog’s European chapter. Calvin Ayre One of the most interesting aspects of Bodog is its founder, Calvin Ayre. While some casino operators hide behind monikers, others keep a low profile, and others are in American jails, Mr. Ayre maintains a flamboyant, playboy lifestyle. He believes it is part of his operation’s success, no less. His business models are Sir Richard Branson, Hugh Hefner and even Paris Hilton, whose branding success he respects. Apropos of Paris Hilton, Ayre hosts lavish parties for Bodog’s bigger clients, with the famous Bodog Girls, usually found poolside, wearing bikinis. Ayre’s face can also be found on magazine covers, including Forbes two years ago; he has signed the Wu-Tang Clan to his record label; and he has run a successful business. At one point in time, prior to the ban, Bodog handled over 7 billion dollars in wagers. According to Ayre, Bodog has passed this mark last year, wholly recovered from the industry-wide shock. Moving to the UK and expanding to Europe might help his business grow. Expect a party invitation to a nearby address in London sometime soon.
The Weekly Edition, an OCR Live! production, in which Kate brings you the headlines for the past week, including: Poker on Social Networks Poker is taking over social networks on the web, such as Facebook, in which a poker application is now third most popular. A Giant Surprise in Super Bowl XLII With the Giants unlikely favorites at the start of the season, and 12 point underdogs prior to the game, some online sports bettors saw a chance to make a handsome payout by betting on them winning. If You Can Think It, You Can Bet It Too Specially popular this year were Prop Bets - wagers that allow gamblers to bet on other fun and sometimes quirky elements of the Super Bowl.
In case you were not sure, Super Bowl XLII made it clear. The ban on online gambling in the US has caused the market considerable damage. With an exceptionally large volume of bets at sports books sand betting sites leading up to the super Bowl, earlier this month, payment processing companies were unable to deal with it all. The biggest processors – companies like Neteller and MyCitadel – have left the US market soon after the ban was passed, late in 2006. Now, websites count on their processors, smaller, less formidable companies. As the industry prepared for the Super Bowl betting traffic, the processors caved under the pressure before the game even began. The volume was exceptionally high, with super Bowl bets (Las Vegas included, but mainly online action) reaching billions of dollars. The mess caused had the websites busy themselves with fielding calls of complaints from their customers, instead of directing their efforts to solving the problems. For now, the result is that payouts are not same-day, and a backlog was created. Not a terrible outcome, considering what could have been. But as for the future, it might be that the industry will retreat to the days of old, when payouts were issued on two or three assigned days of the week, instead of daily. Sports betting websites are obviously not satisfied with the current situation that has Neteller and other leading payment processors out of the game, leaving them to partner with and count on somewhat risky processors in faraway places, with little online gambling experience, such as Asia and Russia. The dissatisfaction with the post-UIGEA industry is understood. In fact, we all share it - website operators, payment processors, and gamblers too.
The fourth quarter of 2007 marked the one year anniversary of the ban on online gambling in the United States. One company’s positive results have served the industry in realizing the ban was not all bad. Closing the Circle 888 Holdings, the operator of the leading online casino 888, has posted its fourth-quarter results, and they were quite impressive. So impressive in fact that 888 chief executive, Gigi Levy, said the company has benefitted from leaving the US and moving to the UK, European and world markets. The company used to have 26 million registered customers. It had to let go of about half when it, along with the rest of the online gambling sector, had to withdraw from the US. At the time, 888 was in talks with Ladbrokes about a merger. Now Mr. Levy is saying 888 had "closed the circle," and adds that 888 is “a far better company now. Sometimes it takes a trauma to be more efficient and more focused." Contributing the somewhat surprising, wholly pleasing success is that the European market is more open to advertising and that high-speed Internet connections across the continent allow players to enjoy the 888 software at its fullest.
A wind of change from the east. Though the west is historically identified with liberal politics and individual rights, it is the government of Bulgaria that decided to allow online gambling in the country. And indeed, European governments and lawmakers are feeling the breeze. The news came after a two day meeting, held in the resort town of Hisarya, where lawmakers from the three parties that comprise the Bulgarian coalition government to debate the issue. After two days of debating, the coalition representatives decided to move on with legislative amendments regarding gambling. Sofia News reports that in addition to new regulations for online gambling, Bulgaria will also update the country's state lottery, its distribution network specifically. From now on, more companies will be allowed to sell tickets for the state lottery. The logic behind the decision, as stated by the government officials, is to increase the income that the state sees from gambling. This money will then be allocated to social campaigns.
The Weekly Edition, an OCR Live! production, in which Kate brings you the headlines for the past week, including: Bodog Knocks on UK Door License to operate in the UK means access to one of the central markets in the world. Who’ll Win the US Presidential Primaries? While Senators Clinton and Obama would have liked the race over and done with, these are exciting news for the gambling community. NBA Specially popular this year were Prop Bets - wagers that allow gamblers to bet on other fun and sometimes quirky elements of the Super Bowl.
Email traffic over the Internet has long been taken over by spammers. A recent survey reports that the problem has only worsened in 2007. Online gambling sites, however, are only a minor source of this problem. Websense Security Laboratories of San Diego, has listed the all too familiar spam techniques used by problem sites. They include: worms, Trojan horses, bots, spam agents and other storm attacks. Going on the web without proper protection is a risk no individual or organization is advised to take. The Internet security firm has reported that 87% of all email messages sent worldwide in the second half of 2007 were spam. Of this number, less than 4% were linked to online gambling websites. These numbers were acquired by running the company's technology on 600 million websites and 350 million emails a week. It serves to prove two things: spam is a problem, and online gambling sites are not.
Fifteen friends got together for an evening of Texas Hold 'em poker last week. Sometime during the game, they were visited by another, uncalled for group - the police. Police! Police! A game of Texas Hold 'em, which took place at Delfin R. Rabara's residence in Kaunakakai, Hawaii, on February 10, was interrupted by the police, who arrested the players involved. All 15 were taken into custody. A local Molokai, Hawaii newspaper reported that the arresting policeman, Sgt. Oran Satterfield, said that the players have had no previous charges against them, for similar offenses, to his knowledge. The game's pot, a total of $9,950, was confiscated by the police and each player was released on $200 bail. The persons involved were charged with gambling, and three were charged with possession of gambling devices A Poker Player's Profile The arrests are especially upsetting to the poker community, for more than one reason. The game - Texas Hold 'em - was the classiest card game and is played by millions of players, online, as well as at home among friends; the group that got together around the table, and was later arrested, was a diverse group, with players ranging in age from 21 to 58; as mentioned above, none have similar criminal records in their histories. In other words, they are like any other Texas hold ‘em player.
American Idol Season 7 is on its way. This year, more than ever before, its international appeal crosses well beyond the nation's limits. International Celebrities The annual televised singing competition, carried on FOX, and based on the British reality show Pop Idol, is an international trademark in more than one sense. Music fans around the world can download the songs on iTunes; the contestants are legitimate celebrities, seen on TV; they are photographed attending fashion shows and around Hollywood, well before reaching any advanced stage in the contest, not to mention winning it. Novelty Betting This year, online gambling on the top 24 contestants is also part of the deal. Interestingly, the websites that offer the bets are not necessarily American. Paddy Power, an Irish bookmaker, was the first to offer betting odds on the new season. Online gambling, novelty bets in this case, are bigger than any national television show or other. The Irish, and Europeans at large, not Americans, are betting on the show, ironically identified with being American. In fact, it qualifies among the top novelty bets on the site. Bodog and other bookmakers catering to American gamblers have held back on posting odds, until the final stages of the show. Tourist Bets Taking into consideration such elements as what looks American voters prefer, how votes will split by age and gender, would US voters prefer male or female vocalists, a tween singer or Simon Cowell's favorite, the bookmakers have set odds on the contestants. Paddy Power offers the best odds on David Archuleta, at 6 to 1. Gamblers, anywhere outside of America, can also bet on Australian Michael Johns, at 8 to 1 odds. Female singer Alaina Whitaker is also at 8 to 1. Such bets have an additional disadvantage, namely their remoteness. Hence the term tourist bets. Perhaps it makes betting more challenging, and more fun.
In September 2007, Bodog lost its domain name and was ordered to pay $49 million to 1st Technologies, the suing company, for rights violation. The dispute is still alive, and has come back to haunt Bodog and the industry. Past Advertising venues that have worked with Bodog have recently been subpoenaed by the court over the same patent lawsuit. As reported by Online Casino Reports at the time, Calvin Ayre has been rather furious with the decision and refuted the charges. He referred to 1st Technology boss, Scott Lewis, as a "patent troll." The truth is that the technology development company develops, licenses and sells its inventions to companies, and has accused Bodog for infringing upon one of their patents related to a "method and system for interactively transmitting multimedia information over a network." At the time, Bodog failed to appear in court an and ordered in their absence to pay for the alleged patent infringement Present Now the online gambling patent dispute is back. Bodog's advertising correspondence is subpoenaed, and the advertisers themselves are expected to be called to appear in court as well. Lewis of 1st Technology has issued a request to Ayre before the latest round of subpoenas, proposing a "man-to-man discussion." Now the company must produce records and correspondents related to payments it received from advertisers. The number of such companies that are involved is unknown. Future Even if the lawsuit is kept quiet for a while, as it has in the past, it is sure to make waves yet again. The involvement of advertisers is alarming and threatening to many. That alone should have the industry's attention. The rest of us can follow and expect a fiery response from Calvin Ayre, which is likely to come.
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