Bodog
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bodog Entertainment is an online gambling, music and entertainment company headquartered in Antigua and licensed in Kahnawake, Antigua and Barbuda, San José, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom. Bodog maintains an online sportsbook and racebook, an online casino and an online poker room. The company was founded in 1994 by Calvin Ayre.
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[edit] Company
Bodog also owns Bodog.net (the play money version of their regular gaming site), as well as an international music label called Bodog Music, and a television production division which produces shows such as Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker that appeared on Fox Sports Net.
In May of 2007 Bodog garnered media attention with an entertainment bet that asked if Heather Mills [the ex-wife of former Beatle Paul McCartney] would lose her prosthetic leg during taping of "Dancing with the Stars".[1] "The Sopranos" season finale in June of 2007 was another popular prop bet for Bodog, [2] as was the June 27, 2007 Paris Hilton-Larry King interview, in which the gambling Web site accepted wagers on what the hotel heiress would say and wear during her first televised interview following her release from a Los Angeles jail.[3]
In 2006, Bodog launched a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion called BodogFight. It airs on the Outdoor Life Network and The Fight Network (in Canada), as well as being broadcast online. BodogFight also has a distribution deal with ION Media Networks.
The game Scarface: The World Is Yours features a Bodog Stampede, a large, fast vehicle with an automatic machine gun attached on the top. The in-game car was designed by Bodog. The game also features various billboard advertisements featuring Bodog logos.
In 2008, Bodog announced the signing of hip hop legend DMX and will release two albums on the same day both titled Walk with Me Now and You'll Fly with Me Later later this year, making it his debut on the label.
[edit] Bodog Music
Bodog Music is a record company owned by Bodog Entertainment. The roster of the record label includes:
- Bif Naked
- Bishop Brigante
- Britt Black
- Fall from Grace (the winners of the Fuse TV reality show Bodog Music Battle of the Bands)
- Overkill
- Nazanin Afshin-Jam
- Neurosonic
- The Vincent Black Shadow
- DMX
- Wu-Tang Clan
- Dead Celebrity Status
[edit] Legal
The ABC newsmagazine show Nightline highlighted the website and its legal ambiguities in an episode that originally aired on July 7, 2006.[4]
In August 2006, a lawsuit was filed and later withdrawn by Bluemoon Entertainment. The lawsuit was withdrawn because Bodog had very few assets based in the United States.[5]
In October 2006, the U.S. government passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act which prohibits banks from processing transactions for online gambling operators. Though the act did not make online gambling itself illegal per se, many online casinos and poker rooms abandoned the U.S. market, though Bodog chose to continue to serve U.S. players.
On August 1, 2007 a judge for the Superior Court of King County, Washington issued a default judgment in the amount of $ 48,937,456.00 in the case of 1st Technology LLC v. Bodog Entertainment Group S.A. for 1st Technology's patent infringement claim.[6] Bodog's founder claims that the company was not served and that the company has an insufficient presence in the United States to infringe any US patents.[7]
Due to the judgment, Bodog "temporarily" lost control of the Bodog.com URL. That day they moved operations to a new URL, newbodog.com. On September 19, 2007, Bodog transferred their domain from NewBodog.com to BodogLife.com.[8]
[edit] Poker
Professional poker players David Williams, Justin Bonomo, Jean-Robert Bellande and Evelyn Ng are members of Team Bodog and play regularly in the Bodog poker room. At the time of his victory, 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event winner Jamie Gold was also a member of Team Bodog, but that business relationship ended on January 25, 2007.[9] Team Bodog poker player Matt McCullough finished third at the 2007 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event taking home £381,910 ($766,674 US). [10]
[edit] References
- ^ "Heather Mills adds a spark to 'Stars'", USA Today March 18, 2007
- ^ "Tony Soprano Lives -- or Dies: Place Your Bets", abc NEWS June 8, 2007
- ^ "Gambling Web Site Taking Bets on What Hilton Will Say", CNN June 27, 2007
- ^ "Online Gambling Mogul Living it Up", ABCNews July 7, 2006
- ^ Bluemoon Entertainment Press Release: "Bodog Uses Offshore Status to Evade U.S. Lawsuit", (Aug 9, 2006)
- ^ 1st Technology LLC vs. Bodog Entertainment
- ^ Bodog and 1st Tech Set to Take Domain Dispute to Court
- ^ Why the bodoglife.com
- ^ Bodog Cuts Jamie Gold from its Poker Team, CardPlayer, (Jan 25, 2007)
- ^ WSOP Interview with Matt McCullough
