Online Poker Bodog.com Pulls Advertising from the U.S. Market and Relocates Global Headquarters to Antigua

6 December 2006

Bodog.com Entertainment announced today a plan to pull all its U.S.-facing gaming-related advertising, mostly for its free-play and educational site, Bodog.net. The advertising pullback, which is quite extensive, includes television, radio, magazine and newspapers in the U.S. market as the online gaming giant has chosen instead to focus its gaming and educational site advertising efforts on European and Asian markets in a strategic decision based on the entertainment company�s long-term business objectives.

The digital entertainment powerhouse, which has become as well known for its television production, music distribution and other digital entertainment properties as it has for its world-class gaming enterprise, will continue to advertise its other digital entertainment products, including television, music and publishing, in North America and markets around the world.

Bodog.com Founder Calvin Ayre, citing current uncertainties in the U.S. market, said the recent legislation passed by Congress was a reason behind the decision. "Though the online gaming environment in the U.S. seems to be headed down a path toward eventual regulation, the current climate calls for even more focus of our gaming-related advertising dollars into markets that face Europe and Asia," says the billionaire founder of Bodog.com Entertainment. "We couldn't be better positioned to build upon our current success and growth and to continue our aggressive push toward international expansion into markets such as Europe and Asia."

Bodog.com's latest move should come as little surprise, as the digital entertainment company has been taking a multi-phased approach to expanding its product channels into international markets for the past several years, with Bodog Music and Bodog Television leading the way.

Bodog's international music distribution division, Bodog Music, currently has offices in Berlin, London and other international destinations. Bodog Television shows, including BodogFight and Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker, are being distributed worldwide on cable, satellite, PPV and broadband to countries such as Japan and other regions of the world, including North America and Europe.

The latest announcement comes on the heels of Bodog.com Entertainment completing its relocation of its global head office and gaming operations from Costa Rica to Antigua. This was initiated as soon as Bodog.com acquired Betcorp's international infrastructure in mid-November. Bodog.com Entertainment will maintain offices in Costa Rica for some data entry as well as its charity foundation division and some of its television production division, which is working on or already producing four annual reality TV series. This content is distributed to millions of viewers around the world.

"This is another step aimed toward strengthening our business model," Ayre says. "This accords our gaming division a license in a safe, reliable and well-regulated jurisdiction and Antigua is also the right jurisdiction from where to run our European expansion."

The Calvin Ayre Foundation (CalvinAyreFoundation.com) will remain headquartered in Costa Rica and continue to provide support to disadvantaged locals, while continuing to lead various charitable initiatives in Costa Rica, North America and Asia.

OPN Staff

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