The pending expansion into Central America and South America will take place in multiple steps, instead of occurring all at once on February 15th, as previously indicated. The initial expansion next week is to be aimed at Brazil and Mexico, likely the two most important and populous markets among the countries listed in the e-mail distributed earlier this week.
Residents of both Brazil and Mexico will have complete access to all of Bodog’s gambling services — poker, sports betting and casino games. Bodog will also bring Bitcoin payment processing to those countries’ residents, along with more traditional payment/withdrawal options. Exactly when Bodog will be introduced to the other fourteen countries mentioned in the affiliate notification remains undisclosed.
Technically, poker players and sports bettors from Mexico and Brazil can already sign up and play on the Bodog site as of now; unofficial reports show a soft launch in those two countries has already begun. Barring unforeseen complications a successful introduction there will be followed by introductions in other Latin American countries in the coming weeks.
The move marks a sharp reversal from the slowly dwindling lineup of countries where Bodog has offered its services in recent years. Prior to the upcoming expansion, Bodog-related sites have only been available in four countries — the United States, Canada, China, and Vietnam.
Little online information is available on Hong Kong-based PayWaingLuo, the consortium declared as having purchased the Bodog poker network. (The wording of the release implies that only the poker network was sold, leaving ownership of Bodog’s sports-betting and casino operations unchanged.)
Here is the statement:
Bodog extends poker business: starting with Brazil & Mexico
After a small hiatus Bodog is ready to start making waves in online poker once again. Bodog recently sold their successful network to a Honk Kong-based consortium, PayWaingLuo. But, with recent opportunities opening up in the LatAm region, have decided to take the plunge in the region, using the software that made Bodog famous in the poker industry for encouraging recreational players rather than sharks. This practise is now the norm in the poker industry.
Bodog’s extension into the Latin America will see the brand also offer sports betting and casino as well as being the first and only company offer a full suite of payment methods including Bitcoin (for both deposit and withdrawal).
Ed Pownall, spokesman for the Bodog brand, commented: "The LatAm region has long been seen as a growth area for the online gaming industry but we felt leading with poker was the best point of entry as we have made such a strong name for ourselves in this arena.”
Source: GMB / Bodog
