Bodog.com seized by DHS, founder Calvin Ayre indicted

Bodog founder Calvin Ayre has been indicted by Federal prosecutors in Baltimore shortly after the domain Bodog.com was seized by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Calvin faces charges of operating an illegal gambling business and conspiring to commit money laundering. Three other men indicted by the US Attorney Rod Rosenstein include James Philip, David Ferguson, and Derrick Maloney. The company-Bodog Entertainment Group is also under indictment.

According to the source, news about the seizure came via a leaked notice sent from the DHS to VeriSign, the web registrar of Bodog.com. Calvin Ayre, founder of the Bodog Brand, made the following comment on the domain seizure – “BodogBrand.com is a brand-licensing organisation based outside the US. The brand left the market last year and the domain in question has been dormant globally for longer than that. We are only currently doing brand licensing deals outside the US so this domain had no place in any of our current plans.”

Bodog claims that this domain seizure will have no affect on any of its players because Bodog.com has been inactive for a few months. They further add that Bodog.eu is still operational, as is the Bodog site, Bovada.lv, which was created for US customers.

It is currently unclear whether other Bodog Brand domains will be targeted by the United States Department of Homeland Security but speculation is rife that poker rooms on other networks like the Merge Gaming Network and the Cake Poker Network may now follow suit.