Calvin Ayre indicted, Bodog.com domain seized, yet business is as usual

De MobileCells

Bodog is undoubtedly one of the biggest names in on-line gaming since they've been working from the mid 90's. Unhappily, they’re such a major name that the united states Division of Homeland Security has been building a case against Bodog. This these days led to the seizure of the website name Bodog.com, which was noted by CalvinAyre.com.

The great news is that Bodog.com isn’t actually that significant to the company’s operation since American players make use of Bovada Poker now; those outside the Usa use the website name Bodog.eu. Hence it doesn’t really make much sense that the Department of Homeland Security would waste their time confiscating this web-site name.

For Bodog founder Calvin Ayre’s ideas on the issue, he was quoted as saying, “Not certain what to say. BodogBrand.com is a brand-licensing business based outside the us. The company left the market last year and the site in question has been dormant internationally for longer than that.” He added, “We are just at the moment doing brand licensing deals outside the united states therefore this domain name had no site in any of our existing plans.”

Bodog founder Calvin Ayre has been indicted by federal prosecutors in Baltimore and the Bodog.com domain name has been seized by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

In the indictment unsealed currently, Ayre, James Phillip, David Ferguson and Derrick Maloney are faced with conducting a gambling business as well as money laundering. Rod Rosenstein, the U.S. Attorney in Baltimore, claims that the defendants "did intentionally and unlawfully carry out fund, manage, supervise, direct, and posses all or part of an outlawed gambling business, to wit, a gambling business involving on-line sports wagering."

"Sports wagering is illegal in Maryland, and federal law forbids bookmakers from flouting that law simply because they are based outside of the country," mentioned Rosenstein. "Numerous of the damages which underline gambling prohibitions are increased when the companies operate over the web with out rules."

The indictment alleges that Bodog communicated with 2 processors to facilitate repayments with gamblers. The processors known as in the indictment were JBL Companies, which apparently processed a minimum of $43 million, and ZipPayments, that allegedly processed a minimum of $57 million. Cash from both those processors was once seized by the IRS back in 2008.

Ayre responded to the indictments with a statement on his website, CalvinAyre.com.

“I notice this as misuse of the U.S. criminal justice system for the industrial gain of big U.S. firms," he claimed. "It is obvious that free black jack industry is legal under worldwide law and in the case of such documents is it additionally clear that the rule of law was not permitted to slow down a rush to try to attempt to win the war of public opinion."

Site visitors who visit Bodog.com are greeted with a Department of Justice seizure see like the one which was plastered on the house pages of PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker and UB.com back on April 15, 2011. Nonetheless, the real difference in this notice is that it was issued by the Department of Homeland Security and not the FBI.

The seizure should not affect the short-term business of Bodog. The Bodog.com website name has not been in employ since late this past year. That domain name had recently been switched to Bodog.eu and American players have been capable to access Bovada.lv since December. Both of those internet sites are up and running as usual.