Bodog Shuts Down Costa Rica Office
Bodog has shut down its Costa Rica based office. Employees reported arriving to find they were locked out.
The company still operates from bases outside of Montreal, Quebec, Antigua and in London.
Last week, Bodog founder Calvin Ayre and three other executives, were indicted for money laundering and operating an illegal gambling enterprise as part of an investigation begun in 2006. (just a quick correction that Gambling911.com had made an error previously reporting that Ayre was charged with bank fraud, which he was not).
Ayre’s own website explained the closure:
A Costa Rican based business process outsourcing company (BPO) providing services to the Bodog Brand has expedited its closure after fears it will be wrongly associated with the Bodog.com Indictments. After the brand licensing agreement with the Bodog Brand and Morris Mohawk Gaming was terminated in December 2011, along with ever increasingly restrictive economic conditions in Costa Rica, the BPO had already started to make plans to wind down its operations.
The plan was for a gradual shut down of operations to minimize disruptions to their staff. But the closure was expedited after its management feared the mainstream media reporting of the indictments could result in the BPO wrongly being caught up in the proceedings.
Bodog has assured that all Costa Rican-based employees will receive their full severance pay.
- Chris Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
