In Brief: Feds Seize $24 Million from Bodog

The United States government has seized $24 million from bank accounts linked to Bodog Entertainment Group, the ubiquitous franchise best known for gambling and its billionaire front man, Calvin Ayre.

Forbes magazine is reporting that the information was obtained from documents filed with Federal District Court in Baltimore.

Mr. Ayre, 47, has been distancing himself in recent months from the company he founded in the 1990s.

In April, Mr. Ayre announced in a blog entry that he would step down as Bodog's chief executive.

"You've likely heard the rumblings and rumors . . . and for once . . . it's true . . . I'm packing it in!" he wrote.

At the time of that entry, he said his company's operations had been run by the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group in Kahnawake for the last year.

Mr. Ayre also said that, since 2006, he had been building a European executive team to oversee Bodog's Continental and African operations.

IGN's Take

It is widely understood that the Canadian tycoon has remained a target of the United States Department of Justice -- an entity that was no doubt miffed when Mr. Ayre went on record with Forbes in a 2006 feature called "Catch Me If You Can." Regardless of his legal fate, one thing is certain: Mr. Ayre has, does, and will continue to inspire controversy.

Christopher A. Krafcik | Editor | IGamingNews