Bodog to Leave US Market at End of Year

Bodog has announced that they will be leaving the US market at the end of 2011, ending their run as one of the longest standing online gambling companies servicing the United States market.

The move comes after Bodog earned a gambling license from the UK Gambling Commission. The company wished to make sure that there were no negative associations with Bodog, such as the idea that they were skirting US laws by accepting customers from America.

“In order to ensure the brand's expansion is not affected by negative perceptions, both in the UK and elsewhere in emerging markets such as Asia, where Bodog88 is already successful, a decision has been made to withdraw the Bodog brand from the US market at the end of 2011,” Bodog UK said in a statement.

Since 2007, Bodog has been operated by the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group (MMGG) under a license from the Kahwanake Gaming Commission. However, that license will lapse on December 31, after which USA players will not be able to access any of Bodog’s websites.

The move may have less impact on the American market than it would appear. Following the move by Bodog, MMGG is expected to launch their own site (licensed by the KGC) at some point in 2012 that will accept USA customers. It has been reported that former Bodog players will be allowed to directly transfer their funds to the new site, thus resulting in only a limited interruption of service for American gamblers.

Bodog was originally launched in 1994 by Calvin Ayre as an online gambling site. However, the company soon branched out into other areas as well, promoting itself as a “lifestyle” brand for young, affluent men. While most of the other ventures have been only modestly successful, Bodog has remained one of the world’s largest online gambling companies, operating online casino, poker, and sportsbook sites.