Calvin Ayre - Bodog
The big news from our ‘Latest News’ section is that Bodog is shutting down its UK operation, and consequently their European market is going to be close to poker! They are then going to re-open and cater to the Asian expat market, whatever that means. This is a big news story in the sense that one of the iconic poker brand is totally ignoring a massive market for those who like online poker. Is this the starting of a trend or a one off classic Calvin Ayre move?
It is fair to say that Calvin Ayre is a shrewd guy and for him to take such a move is either fool hardy or a understanding that European online poker is too tough to make money and a more specialised operation will bring in more revenue in the long run. This will evidentially be a decision which help solidify a very crowded market into a 3 or 4 megasite and a ocean of nearly bankrupt small operation.
You cannot tell me that a plethora of online poker sites are all making money? Some of the offers and bonuses that are banded about are ridiculous compared where the market was a few years ago. Rake backs are so big and so competitive that it must be killing the market. Therefore, it is only time that some of the medium sized online poker rooms start to get out of the way.
2013 could see another melt down in online poker like what was witnessed on ‘Black Friday’ when the FBI got really serious with online poker rooms allowing US citizens to deposit money to play online poker, if Bodog spearhead the online poker rooms exit from UK and Europe, things might get very tough for the bonus whores.
