[BrianLaverty]

Bodog Founder Calvin Ayre Retires
BY: BOB PAJICH | bob.pajich@cardplayer.com
PUBLISHED: Monday Apr 21, 2008 12:28 PM
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He Calls it Quits after 14 Years with Company

Calvin Ayre, Bodog founder and self-proclaimed international playboy today announced that he will soon retire from Bodog and disappear from public life.

A representative of Bodog’s public relations firm told Card Player that Ayre would not be doing interviews about his retirement. An exact date of his retirement was not released. The entire press release that was sent out this morning follows:

Calvin Ayre, the internationally noted billionaire playboy founder of Bodog, will be retiring from his largely ceremonial role as the face of Bodog.

Additionally he will no longer be involved in Bodog operationally. In mid 2007 he successfully transferred ownership of the Bodog brand in North America to the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group. Internationally Bodog has put in place a very competent and significantly European executive team that is already managing Bodog Europe and Africa and plans to further expand to Latin America.

Ayre will be taking some time to himself in his home in Antigua and will continue to support charitable opportunities through the Calvin Ayre Foundation.

Ayre noted that, “While it has been great fun to live my life in front of the world’s cameras and online though my blog, I am looking forward to a more private and meaningful period of giving back and working to support the Calvin Ayre Foundation.”

And this is what Ayre wrote on his blog today:

You’ve likely heard the rumblings and rumors….and for once…..it’s true…I’m packing it in! Well who am I kidding, if you’re reading this now you know that for the past few years I’ve been pretty focused on jetting around the world to exotic places and filming crazy (stuff) for this blog. I was really more of a brand ambassador for Bodog the past while anyway – but it was fun while it lasted.

In 2007 ownership of Bodog in North America was taken over by Alwyn Morris and Morris Mohawk Gaming Group, and starting in 2006, Bodog hired up a mostly European team to run their now solely non US facing operations so me retiring won’t have any effect operationally….the same great Bodog experience will continue exactly as it has in the past. I just won’t have cameras shoved in my face all the time and I won’t have to do all the grueling travel. My retirement also will not affect anything that you see or notice when enjoying the Bodog products and services.

To all the staff, vendors and advisors that have been part of the Bodog development I want to extend sincere thanks for not only the hard work and dedication but the lessons and good times I have experienced and can now take away with me. I wish you all continued success and if we bump into each other on a white sand beach or maybe the streets or bars of my home base of Antigua please come say hello.

I’m going to focus my time on a balanced private life and The Calvin Ayre Foundation which I am truly passionate about.

Ayre launched Bodog Entertainment group in 1994 and somewhat famously built an online gambling, poker and entertainment empire that has a hand in everything from music to prize fighting to reality TV.

The Calvin Ayre Foundation is Ayre’s charitable organization that helps people worldwide in the follow categories: environment, education, social development, child welfare and animal welfare.








Is this going to have any effect on bodog at all?

Alotta people in the poker community think bodog is going busto.... I don't buy into it, but what happens now? Anything?

[SBR_John]

I think their creative marketing will probably suffer. Otherwise, I think that the managers will take fewer risky investment shots like BodogFights, BodogMusic, ect., and focus on the gaming end.

Timing seems good because the creative marketing that Calvin was so good at has a limited shelf life. Likely he thought that too or saw the signs.

Bottomline is they are probably better off. Less distractions for the operational mgmt. They can focus in on running a gaming company instead of Calvin's interesting but resource sapping world domination plan.

[JoshW]

Calvin likely thinks that eventually he will be able to go back to the US. Ask the Neteller founders about that.

Maybe I am way off. If he got a good price, it is likely the right move as the banking situation has made this industry very tough to function in.

[paul Mordeeb]

It's not like hes selling it because the future looks bright! Hopefully it's because he got a good price and wants to pursue other ventures. Never like it when the founder sells. 90% of the time it's a BAD sign!

[moonbeam]

99%

[bigboydan]

I'm glad to see that he finally realized that it was in his best interest to make this move. Now maybe Bodog won't have so much trouble with their processing issues.

I wonder if we will see Bodog start taking Canadian signup's soon or not, because shouldn't be any problems now "IF" he really has turned things over to MoHawk.