Bodog Indicted
If you recently tried to log into Bodog’s website to do some sports betting or online gambling, you may have encountered a problem. The domain has been seized by the United States Department of Justice, along with indictments against the company’s founder, Calvin Ayre, and three of his website operators.
Ayre and the other defendants are charged with running an illegal gambling business and money laundering. If convicted of both charges, they each face up to 25 years in prison. Arrest warrants have been issued for the defendants.
According to the Justice Department, federal investigators opened accounts at Bodog using Maryland addresses. In the state of Maryland, sports betting is illegal. Online sports betting is illegal throughout the entire United States. According to an affidavit, the investigators were able to play at Bodog and had winnings mailed to them in the form of checks. Calvin Ayre denies any wrongdoing and says that his company has not accepted bets from Americans. The prosecutors say that more than $100 million has been paid out to American customers by Bodog from 2005 to 2011.
According to news found on Google, the Bodog domain was seized on Monday and the indictments were released on Tuesday. No arrests have been made of yet. Calvin Ayre and the other three indicted parties are Canadian citizens and Bodog is based in Canada. In December 2011, Bodog.com changed its name to Bodog.eu and at that point, the company said that it would no longer accept customers from America. On his personal website, Ayre said that the indictments are without merit and are done to protect the interests or large U.S. companies that view Bodog as competition.
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