Bodog AWARDS VERIFICATION

Hall Of Fame

It’s been another whirlwind year in the hectic world of Bodog and its larger-than-life founder Calvin Ayre. The self-confessed party animal has merrily negotiated all manner of hazards thrown in his company’s way this year, to emerge out the other side in an even stronger position.

Following increasing security worries in their old home of Costa Rica, Calvin and Co. relocated in 2007 to the relative serenity of Antigua where they are now headquartered. From there, they’ve been able to focus properly on their top priorities: expanding the business, and of course, partying as much as humanly possible.

On the gambling side, the company has its online sportsbook and racebook, an online casino and an online poker room. Dating back to 1994, when Ayre launched the company, Bodog established itself Stateside as a major gambling and lifestyle brand. As well as gambling, Bodog has a wide range of other offerings, including the popular mixed martial arts franchise Bodog Fight; the Bodog Music record label, which counts hip-hop acts Wu-Tang Clan and DMX among is roster of artists; Bodog Girls; and Bodog TV. Housing so many popular brands under one overall banner has proved a hugely successful business move for Ayre, and 2007 was a big year for all segments of the company.

Another of 2007’s controversies for the company was the furore surrounding their internet domain names. A company named 1st Technology, hired by Bodog Entertainment SA to look after its domain names, ended up trying to, effectively, hold the domain names for ransom against Bodog in a classic case of ‘patent troll’ mischief.

On August 1 last year, a judge for the Superior Court of King County, Washington, issued a default judgement for 1st Technology’s patent infringement claim. Ayre claimed that the company was not served and that the company had an insufficient presence in the United States to infringe any US patents. Regardless, the judgement meant that Bodog lost control of the Bodog.com URL, among others, and on that day they moved all operations over to NewBodog.com. But by mid-September, though, they settled on BodogLife.com.

The case has been going through the courts ever since, but while the whole episode has vexed Ayre to some extent, it amounted to nothing but a blip on the radar and the Bodog brand has only strengthened as a result. Speaking in October, Ayre said: “Though 1st Technology and its lawyer bosses are classic patent trolls, this has never been a patent case; it has always just been a legal system ‘stick up’ where the objective was always to grab the domain names and try to force a monetary settlement, the legal equivalent of a back alley mugging. Bad luck for them that they tried to mug Bodog. We won the war immediately when we moved to BodogLife.com so effortlessly and we will always be BodogLife.com going forward, but we do want to protect the various Bodog trademarks by getting back control of some of the heisted domain names.”

While all of this legal scuffling has been going on, Ayre has been forging ahead in as many other areas as possible—not least expansion into the UK. They are a big presence here already, and as soon as all the proper licences are in place, they are likely to become a dominant force in the UK gaming industry. No doubt about it, 2008 promises to be a huge year for Bodog’s UK operations. Expect to hear the name Bodog a heck of a lot more often from now on.

The Bodog ethos is a very simple one. They stand for quality entertainment, aspirational lifestyle, and all the classic elements that young adults are attracted to: parties, music, gaming, television, girls and sports. What company could go wrong with those ingredients as its staple diet?

Meanwhile, the irrepressible Ayre continues to break new ground. More than just a business-savvy ladies man, he’s involved in charitable work too through his Calvin Ayre Foundation. This private and independent body has been set up to focus on promoting greater equity in five broad areas: environment, education, social development, child welfare and animal welfare. When you’re a billionaire playboy with a party lifestyle, it’s good to balance out the shenanigans by helping to leave a legacy of philanthropy. You could even liken Ayre to Virgin dynamo Richard Branson (who has pledged billions in the past toward good causes). Branson has always been PR-savvy, and has a far better public persona than other entrepreneurial billionaires. Ayre, it seems, is cut from the same cloth.

Bodog is worthy of this entry into our Hall of Fame, due to the immense potential of the brand, the slick way that the whole operation is packaged, plus their overall emphasis on ‘fun’ and getting people to have a good time. This industry revolves around enjoyment, thrills and excitement and Bodog are leading the way when it comes to giving the public what they want.