Bodog Pulls Advertising from U.S. Market

It's not official until tomorrow, per the date on the press release, but Bodog has announced a shift in its advertising priorities. Bodog will be pulling out of 'traditional' U.S. ad markets, primarily those accepting placement for "bodog.net" plugs, a category that includes television, radio, newspapers and print magazines. It seems that Bodog will still maintain a presence with some Web outlets that may be based in the U.S., due to their international reach.

Bodog still plans to promote its existing shows, including 'BodogFight' and 'Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker,' as they continue to be distributed via worldwide cable, broadband and satellite systems. As one would expect, Bodog is citing the 'uncertainty' of the U.S. market in the wake of the UIGEA's enactment as one of the motivations for the pullout.

Bodog will be redirecting the brunt of its advertising dollars to the European and Asian markets, certainly friendlier locales at the present time. In the same release, Bodog also announced the relocation of its primary offices from Costa Rica to Antigua, although it will maintain a small Costa Rican presence for the near future. In explaining the move and ad pullback, Bodog CEO Calvin Ayre offered the following: 'This is another step aimed toward strengthening our business model. This accords our gaming division a license in a safe, reliable and well-regulated jurisdiction and Antigua is also the right jurisdiction from where to run our European expansion.'