Bodog Casino Applies for UK Gaming License

Online gambling group Bodog Entertainment has applied for a UK operating license, according to reports from the Guardian newspaper.

Bodog has been making noise this week about plans to push into Asia, with the launch of Chinese-focused websites and support in both Mandarin and Cantonese. But it seems Europe is also a target for Bodog, with the Guardian reporting the company is one of the few major online gambling operations seeking a license in the United Kingdom.

Many online casinos and poker rooms are bypassing the UK regulatory scheme due to the high 15% remote gaming tax imposed last year. Most online gambling companies pay only a fraction of that, operating out of overseas tax havens.

On his popular blog, Calvin Ayre spoke of his personal connection to the UK market:
"Bodog's expansion into Europe is an exciting step for the company. Not only does it make sense from a business perspective, but it feels right on a personal level as well. My roots are in the United Kingdom; my grandparents hailed from Scotland and England, and I feel a lot of connection to the UK."

Bodog is one of the few major online casinos still accepting bets from US customers. Bodog CEO Calvin Ayre defended his company's US policy, saying: "We have licenses from sovereign governments to do what we do. That's how it works on every other industry on the planet."

• 
• 
• Email to a friend
• Print