Online entrepreneur, jetsetter, industry leader and philanthropist, Calvin Ayre is the personification of a new American Dream. Establishing new standards in excellence and creativity, he has been the principle driving force behind transforming online gambling into a mainstream industry.

An entrepreneur at heart and a branding expert by nature, Mr. Ayre has turned a one-person software start-up operation into a multibillion-dollar digital entertainment and media empire. After only 10 years of existence, the Bodog Entertainment Group is already considered the most respected brand in the online gaming space, and is well on its way to cementing itself as a 21st century digital entertainment and media conglomerate, which includes a web-based music marketing and distribution division, BodogMusic.com. 

And while the company has been around for an entire decade, even more amazing is how fast the world has embraced the actual Bodog.com brand name, which came into existence during the year 2000.

Unlike many of his billionaire counterparts, Ayre comes from humble beginnings.

"I came from a place where hard work and humility were prized qualities." - Calvin Ayre

That might be considered an understatement.

Calvin Ayre was born on May 25th, 1961 in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, a small community in the heart of rural Canada.

As Ayre has told Gambling911.com on more than one occasional:

"I grew up on a farm often working knee deep in pig sh*t."

A self-made billionaire, Mr. Ayre knows the integral components required to build a company from the ground up. After all, he's been at it all of his adult life.

While on summer break after his first year at the University of Waterloo, Mr. Ayre bought an old five-ton truck, took it over to the local fruit orchards, loaded it full of fruit, and headed west. The drive from southern Ontario to the Prairies took 20 hours. Along the way, Mr. Ayre made numerous stops to sell his stock of apples, cherries and peaches by the roadside and in the neighboring towns. By the time he reached Saskatchewan, Mr. Ayre had built his first business.

Ambitious and motivated by his achievements in the fruit business, Mr. Ayre learned early that hard work and humility are essential for personal and business success. In embracing those basic principles, Mr. Ayre discovered the foundation that would lead to greater successes down the road.

After earning a bachelor's degree in general sciences and a MBA in management finance, Mr. Ayre started the Bodog Entertainment Group with $10,000, the value of all his possessions. With the money earned from the sale of his belongings, Mr. Ayre envisioned a software company. However, he switched gears after reading an article on international sports betting companies that had utilized phones for wagering. Mr. Ayre believed the Internet and an independently verifiable event, such as a sports bet, would be a natural fit.

The gamble paid off. With Richard Branson of Virgin as his inspiration and branding model, Mr. Ayre set out not only to create a great sportsbook, but also to establish an organization and brand that could cross over into any industry.

Bodog Entertainment Group, founded just over 10 years ago, is now a sophisticated mainstream organization known for its world-class sports betting entertainment product as well as its highly successful poker room, casino and racebook. It has been responsible for myriad industry innovations in technology, marketing and business models.

"Change is a desired constant state for success."
Calvin Ayre

With the launch of Bodogmusic.com, the Bodog Group of Companies has taken the first step into becoming a revolutionary 21 st century media and entertainment giant. This web-based music marketing and distribution division features a roster of talented rock and hip hop artists such as Bif Naked, Britt Black, The Heck, Todd Kerns, and Dead Celebrity Status. Bodogmusic.com will be adding more musicians to its label in the near future.

In addition to the growth in digital entertainment, Bodog has begun producing television content, and most recently launched its pop culture magazine, Bodognation.com.

To complement its poker product, Bodog launched Bodog.net in 2005. Bodog.net is a play-for-free educational web site that provides novice players with strategies and tips on how to play poker. Located at www.bodog.net, the site allows users to practice and fine-tune their poker skills with players from all over the world.

With the Bodog Entertainment Group machine in gear, the company's accomplishments during the last two years included the 2004 Bodog.com Handicapper Conference with legendary NFL quarterback Joe Montana as the keynote speaker. The event was such a success that Bodog held a second convention, the Bodog.com Poker & Sports Marketing Conference, in 2005. This brainchild of Mr. Ayre's came complete with a "talk of the town" party that embodied Bodog's "work hard, play harder" philosophy. The 2005 conference also included two prominent athlete guest speakers - legendary NFL player and coach Mike Ditka, and baseball Hall of Fame inductee Reggie Jackson.

The Bodog.com Marketing Conference ( www.bodogconference.com ) is considered online gambling's only must-attend marketing conference, offering a chance to learn from and network with the elite of the global online gambling community.

In March of 2005, Bodog.com became the first trademarked gaming operation in the United States. As a result of being widely considered the most recognizable brand in its field, Bodog was named the online gaming world's seventh most influential company, according to London's eGaming Review Magazine. That publication also named Bodog "eGaming Industries Top US Facing Brand" in its December 2004 year-end review issue.

"We all take risks everyday, but some of us enjoy them more than others."
Calvin Ayre

In addition to running the Bodog Entertainment Group, Mr. Ayre also regularly publishes articles on a variety of topics at the cutting edge of the online gaming industry. His writing has been published in industry mainstays such as eGaming Review, iGaming News, Card Player, Bluff, Gambling Online Magazine and Play Savvy.

As a man who enjoys taking risks and challenges, Mr. Ayre - a resident of Costa Rica- is known to take his 2003 anniversary edition Harley Davidson Soft Tail out for the occasional spin in and around San Jose. He's traveled the world twice, and is also a licensed pilot and a certified scuba diver.

"At the root of all success is the desire and passion to give back to those that need it most."
Calvin Ayre

Throughout his continued business success, Mr. Ayre has remained passionate and committed to charitable causes. In the summer of 2005, the Bodog Group of Companies teamed with the Fisher House Foundation to hold a two-day charity event in Hawaii to thank the thousands of men and women of the United States Military Services. The charity event featured a prize-filled poker tournament, a comedy show and music concert starring Snoop Dogg and Bif Naked at the famous Waikiki Shell. More than 8,000 troops and their families participated in the weekend's activities. Celebrity participants such as Colin Quinn, Paul Rodriguez, Wanda Sykes, Carson Daly, and many others attended the charity event.

The "Bodog Salutes the Troops" event comes on the heels of other charitable functions sponsored by the Bodog Group of Companies. These events include the LA Lakers Youth Foundation's second Annual Casino Night, which Bodog helped promote, and the Nineteenth Genesis Awards, an award show that honors the news and entertainment media for raising awareness of animal protection issues.

Among his other philanthropic contributions, Mr. Ayre has sponsored a number of students from less fortunate families around the world. With Mr. Ayre's help, these students attend universities and colleges. Additionally, Mr. Ayre has ensured that the sponsored students and their immediate families are extended dental and medical benefits to ease their financial burden. Recently, two of the students graduated with degrees in Criminology and eCommerce in Canada and the Philippines, respectively. A third student is studying tourism in Brazil.

Though his philanthropic organization, The Calvin Ayre Foundation, Mr. Ayre has supported a host of other causes, specifically in areas of environment, animal welfare and education for the disadvantaged youth. On an annual basis, The Calvin Ayre Foundation finances a public school in Costa Rica, providing upgrades for the facility, supplying new computers, and improving soccer fields.

What continues to inspire and motivate Calvin Ayre is his ultimate goal to build a world-class organization within the online gaming and entertainment industry. He wants the best such business the world has ever seen. The Bodog Group of Companies is well on its way to becoming a 21st century media and digital entertainment giant, and Calvin Ayre could not be better positioned to lead the way.


Bodog.com, located in San Jose, Costa Rica, is federally licensed by the Costa Rican and UK governments. One of the pioneers in the field, Bodog.com is the top-ranked US facing online gambling brand, with highest site traffic amongst multi-product US gaming web sites according to Hitwise. Bodog.com, valued at over US $1 billion and ranked in the Power 10 online companies by eGaming Review, has processed over $6 billion in wagers in the last 12 months. Bodog.com Marketing Conference, www.bodogconference.com , will take place in Las Vegas, Summer 2006, attracting the leaders of the online gambling industry. Bodog Entertainment Group also includes a music label, BodogMusic, an online magazine, BodogNation, and other properties coming soon. For more information, contact Media Relations at 1-866-892-3371, or pr@bodog.com. BODOG is a registered trademark of Bodog Entertainment Group S.A.

---

Gambling911.com Profiles

Originally published November 25, 2005