{{Short description|Canadian-Antiguan entrepreneur}} {{Infobox person | name = Calvin Ayre | image = Calvin Ayre in 2023.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Calvin Ayre in 2023 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|05|25}} | birth_place = Lloydminster, Saskatchewan | education = Bachelor of Science, University of Waterloo<br />MBA, City University of Seattle | known_for = founding the Ayre Group and launching the Bodog entertainment company | title = Special Economic Envoy to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda | boards = Calvin Ayre Foundation | criminal_charge = <!-- Criminality parameters should be supported with citations from reliable sources --> | criminal_penalty = | criminal_status = | website = {{URL|https://ayre.group/}} | footnotes = }}
'''Calvin Edward Ayre''' (born 25 May 1961) is a Canadian-Antiguan entrepreneur based in Antigua and Barbuda. He is the founder of the Ayre Group and Bodog entertainment brand.<ref>{{cite web |title=CoinGeek founder Calvin Ayre, former online gambling mogul, bets on crypto |url=https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/technology/video/coingeek-founder-calvin-ayre-former-online-gambling-mogul-bets-on-crypto~1694302 |website=BNNBloomberg.com |access-date=5 March 2023 |date=29 May 2019}}</ref>
In 2000, Ayre launched online gambling company Bodog, the success of which made him a billionaire.<ref name="guardian">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2008/feb/08/gambling.usa|title=Billionaire bookie who went from farmboy to playboy|last1=Bowers|first1=Simon|date=February 8, 2008|work=www.guardian.co.uk|publisher=The Guardian UK|access-date=June 18, 2013}}</ref> Ayre's profile increased in the mid-2000s as online gaming's popularity surged, landing him on the cover of ''Forbes'' magazine's 2006 annual Billionaires edition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Calvin Ayre, The World's Richest People - Forbes.com|url=https://images.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/GCUD.html|access-date=2020-11-29|website=images.forbes.com}}</ref> and ''Star'' magazine's "Most Eligible Billionaire Bachelors" list in late 2007.
In 2012, Ayre was indicted by the US Attorney for Maryland on charges of illegal gambling.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Office (USAO)|first=U. S. Attorney's|title=U.S. Attorney's Office - U.S. Department of Justice|url=https://www.justice.gov/archive/usao/md/news/2012/BodogandFourCanadiansIndictedforConductingInternetGamblingBusinessGeneratingover100Million.html|access-date=2020-11-29|website=www.justice.gov|language=en-us}}</ref> Despite the Antiguan government's view that the charges against Ayre were “completely contrary to binding international agreements,”<ref>{{cite web |title=Antigua-Barbuda welcomes resolution of criminal case as part of failure by US to comply with WTO ruling on internet gaming – Caribbean News Now |url=https://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/2017/08/07/antigua-barbuda-welcomes-resolution-of-criminal-case-as-part-of-failure-by-us-to-comply-with-wto-ruling-on-internet-gaming/ |website=www.caribbeannewsnow.com |access-date=20 August 2019}}</ref> in 2017, he pled guilty to a single misdemeanor charge and all other charges against him were dropped. In August 2017, Ayre was appointed as an Economic Envoy for Antigua and Barbuda to advise on developments in blockchain technology.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Neate |first1=Rupert |title=Gambling tycoon builds $100m bitcoin-funded Antiguan resort |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/feb/18/bitcoin-gambling-tycoon-builds-100m-resort-antigua-calvin-ayre |website=the Guardian |access-date=27 January 2021 |language=en |date=18 February 2018}}</ref>
==Early life== Ayre grew up on a farm outside Lloydminster, Saskatchewan and graduated from high school in Salmon Arm, British Columbia. His parents were grain and pig farmers.<ref name=forbes2>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanvardi/2017/07/14/former-online-gambling-billionaire-calvin-ayre-pleads-guilty-to-misdemeanor-charge/ |title=Former Online Gambling Billionaire Calvin Ayre Pleads Guilty To Misdemeanor Charge |date=July 14, 2017 |work=Nathan Vardi |publisher=Forbes |access-date=July 15, 2017}}</ref> Ayre excelled in school, winning three academic scholarships in his senior year of high school, including scoring the highest marks in his class on the scholarship exams.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cooperman |first1=Jim |title=VIEWPOINT: Billionaire entrepreneur well connected to the Shuswap |url=https://www.saobserver.net/columns/viewpoint-billionaire-entrepreneur-well-connected-to-the-shuswap-8134093 |website=Salmon Arm Observer |access-date=27 July 2025 |language=en |date=18 July 2025}}</ref> In 1984, he received a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in general sciences from the University of Waterloo, adding an MBA in management finance from City University of Seattle in 1989.
==Career== In 1992, after reading a newspaper article about a Caribbean-based company offering betting services over the telephone, Ayre concluded that gambling was tailor-made for the internet.<ref name="forbes">{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2006/0327/112.html|title=Catch Me If You Can|last1=Miller|first1=Matthew|date=March 11, 2006|work=Forbes|access-date=June 18, 2013}}</ref> Having taught himself network design by studying Cisco Systems manuals,<ref name=forbes /> Ayre converted his Vancouver-based Internet incubator company into a software support firm for online gambling, which became Bodog. He was able to license his software to several online casinos but soon realized the real money was in running his own gaming operation.<ref name=cb /> His gambling business was setup in 1996<ref name="panpap"/> and was based in Costa Rica.<ref name="bcr">{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/bitcoin-wright-patents/ |title=Bitcoin's "creator" races to patent technology with gambling tycoon |author=Byron Kaye, Jeremy Wagstaff |access-date=14 March 2018 |date=2 March 2017 |work=Reuters }}</ref> Bodog.com was established in 2000.<ref name="panpap">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/panama-papers/party-down-run-fugitive-gambling-czar-calvin-ayre-n570576 |title=Panama Papers: On the Run with Fugitive Gambling Czar Calvin Ayre |author=Josh Meyers |access-date=14 March 2018 |date=9 May 2016 |work=NBC News }}</ref>
''Canadian Business'' reported "the Bodog name is part of an ambitious branding strategy that Ayre envisioned from the start.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Calvin Ayre — The Dealer - Canadian Business|url=https://www.canadianbusiness.com/business-strategy/calvin-ayre-the-dealer/|access-date=2020-11-29|website=www.canadianbusiness.com}}</ref> He came up with it while typing potential brand names into an Internet domain-registration search engine one night. He chose the appellation like a major corporation would pick the name of a new car or brand of soft drink: it had to have six letters or less, be easy to spell and remember, have some personality and be unlike any competitor's moniker. The last criterion was easy to fill since most of Bodog's rivals prefer straightforward brand names such as PartyPoker.com or Sportsbook.com."<ref name=cb /> As the face of the Bodog brand, Ayre's public profile increased in the mid-2000s. He was featured as the cover story for ''Forbes'' 2006 annual Billionaires edition.<ref name=forbes /><ref name=people>{{cite web |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20061282,00.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120907173054/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20061282,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 7, 2012 |title=Money Doesn't Make the Man |date=June 26, 2006 |work=People |publisher=Time Inc. |access-date=June 19, 2013}}</ref> and ''Star'' magazine's "Most Eligible Billionaire Bachelors" list in late 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.starmagazine.com/news/13364 |title=Most Eligible Billionaire Bachelors Poll |date=November 14, 2007 |work=www.starmagazine.com |publisher=American Media, Inc. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080214071234/http://www.starmagazine.com/news/13364 |archive-date=February 14, 2008 |access-date=June 19, 2013}}</ref>
Ayre himself was the focus of Bodog's marketing strategy, creating a public profile around a jackpot-winning lifestyle. He hosted parties in Costa Rica and Antigua, with bikini-clad "Bodog Girls" and armed bodyguards in attendance,<ref name="guardian" /> and the media noted his reputation as a man who likes to party.<ref name="kob">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2011/jul/31/calvin-ayre-bodog-king-of-bling |title=Calvin Ayre: web gambling's king of bling takes a chance on the regulator |author=Simon Goodley |access-date=14 March 2018 |date=31 July 2011 |newspaper=The Guardian }}</ref> The Bodog website and press materials are filled with photographs of Ayre drinking on yachts with scantily clad models and partying with celebrities.<ref name=cb /><ref name=forbes /> Ayre claims that the ‘bad boy adventurer’ image projected in Bodog marketing only worked because it was based on something genuine. "The lifestyle I sell is about 80% the reality of what I live."<ref name=theregister>{{cite web |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/24/bodog_calvin_interview/print.html |title=Playboy gambler says Feds can't stop his online empire |last1=Hansen |first1=Burke |date=October 24, 2006 |work=www.theregister.co.uk |publisher=The Register |access-date=June 18, 2013}}</ref> The business expanded rapidly, recording turnover of {{Currency|7300000000}} and revenue of {{Currency|210000000}} in 2005.<ref name=forbes /> As Bodog grew in prominence, Ayre appeared on episodes of MTV ''Cribs'', VH1's ''Fabulous Life of…'', ''Extra'', and ''ABC Nightline''. In 2006, Ayre was named one of ''People'' magazine's 40 hottest bachelors and appeared on the cover of the ''Forbes'' Billionaires issue.<ref name=forbes /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://calvinayreap.com/2008/03/25/faces-and-places/mtv-cribs-bodog-compound-costa-rica/ |title=MTV Cribs Visits the Bodog Compound in Costa Rica |date=March 25, 2008 |work=calvinayreap.com |access-date=June 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131025052707/http://calvinayreap.com/2008/03/25/faces-and-places/mtv-cribs-bodog-compound-costa-rica |archive-date=October 25, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://calvinayreap.com/2009/11/20/faces-and-places/vh1-fabulous-life-billionaire-rags-riches/ |title=VH1 The Fabulous Life – Billionaire Rags to Riches |work=calvinayreap.com |access-date=June 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722165812/http://calvinayreap.com/2009/11/20/faces-and-places/vh1-fabulous-life-billionaire-rags-riches/ |archive-date=July 22, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.extratv.com/2007/09/03/the-bachelor-who-has-made-billions-out-of-taking-a-gamble/ |title=The Bachelor Who Has Made Billions Out of Taking a Gamble |date=September 3, 2007 |work=www.extratv.com |publisher=TTT West Coast, Inc. |access-date=June 18, 2013}}</ref> Also in 2006, the online gambling industry underwent realignment as US authorities made high-profile arrests of several online gambling executives. Ayre sold Bodog's US-facing online gambling business to the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group of Kahnawake, Quebec, with Ayre retaining rights to the Bodog brand. He subsequently announced his retirement from the online gambling business.<ref name=fastcompany>{{cite web |url=http://www.fastcompany.com/898669/personality-behind-online-gaming-site-bodog |title=THE PERSONALITY BEHIND ONLINE GAMING SITE BODOG |last1=Dean |first1=Josh |date=July 1, 2008 |work=www.fastcompany.com |publisher=Mansueto Ventures |access-date=June 18, 2013}}</ref>
In a 2009 interview,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.point-spreads.com/industry/042009-calvin-ayres-1st-post-retirement-interview.html |title=Bodog.com Founder Calvin Ayre's 1st Post Retirement Interview |publisher=Point-spreads.com |date=2009-04-20 |access-date=2014-06-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005045825/http://www.point-spreads.com/industry/042009-calvin-ayres-1st-post-retirement-interview.html |archive-date=2013-10-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Ayre stated that following the passage of the ''Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act'' (UIGEA) in 2006, the organization that he led and that had been accepting customers from the United States withdrew from that market, instead licensing the brand to the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group, which then operated its own online gaming website servicing the US under the Bodog brand until December, 2011. On 14 December 2011 MMGG announced that it would no longer operate Bodog-branded websites and transitioned all customers to its new site.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.egrmagazine.com/news/morris_mohawk_rebrands_in_us_with_bovada_domain |title=Morris Mohawk Rebrands in US with Bovada Domain |publisher=eGaming Review |date=2011-06-26 |access-date=2011-12-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310102421/http://www.egrmagazine.com/news/morris_mohawk_rebrands_in_us_with_bovada_domain |archive-date=2012-03-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Philips |first1=Chris |title=Bodog Rebrands to "Bovada" in the United States |url=https://pokerfuse.com/news/poker-room-news/bodog-rebrands-bovada-us/ |website=pokerfuse.com |access-date=20 August 2019 |language=en-us |date=14 December 2011}}</ref>
The news media has also reported on Bodog's alleged skirting of Internet gambling laws in the United States and other countries. Forbes reported his "taunting analysis of the law: we run a business that can't actually be described as gambling in each country we operate in. But when you add it all together, it's Internet gambling."<ref name=forbes /> In a 2006 feature, ''The Register'' called Ayre "something of an outlaw."<ref name=theregister /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Hansen |first1=Burke |title=Playboy gambler says Feds can't stop his online empire |url=https://www.theregister.com/2006/10/24/bodog_calvin_interview/ |website=www.theregister.com |access-date=27 January 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
On 17 February 2026, Bodog rebranded as Ozoon.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stoyanov |first1=Petko |title=Popular Gambling Platform Bodog Rebrands to Ozoon |url=https://www.thesportsgeek.com/blog/bodog-canada-rebrands-to-ozoon/ |publisher=The Sports Geek |access-date=17 February 2026}}</ref>
===Expansion beyond gambling=== Ayre expressed his admiration for Virgin Group founder Richard Branson’s use of his personal brand to promote his companies. Using him as a model, Ayre sought to build Bodog into an online gambling brand and a "mainstream 21st-century digital entertainment conglomerate".<ref name=cb>{{cite web |url=http://www.canadianbusiness.com/business-strategy/calvin-ayre-the-dealer/ |title=Calvin Ayre — The Dealer |last1=Gray |first1=John |date=October 24, 2005 |work=www.canadianbusiness.com |publisher=Rogers Communications |access-date=June 20, 2013 |archive-date=July 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712022728/http://www.canadianbusiness.com/business-strategy/calvin-ayre-the-dealer/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> As Bodog grew, Ayre launched several non-gaming properties under the Bodog brand.
In 2003, Ayre organized BodogConference.com in Las Vegas for sports handicappers, at which National Football League Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana was a special guest. The conference became an annual event, attracting gambling industry executives and figures from the sports world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.docsports.com/bodog-vegas-conference.html |title=The Making of BodogConference.com |last1=Ayre |first1=Calvin |work=www.docsports.com |access-date=June 20, 2013}}</ref> In 2005, Ayre launched the Bodog Music record label. This led to the ''Bodog Music Battle of the Bands'' television series on Fuse TV, in which celebrity judges including former Sex Pistols singer John Lydon traveled across America to find the country's best unsigned bands.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.xxlmag.com/xxl-magazine/2007/05/wu-tang-signs-european-deal-for-new-album/ |title=Wu-Tang Signs European Deal For New Album |date=May 3, 2007 |work=www.xxlmag.com |publisher=Harris Publications, Inc. |access-date=June 18, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://allhiphop.com/2007/12/19/dmx-inks-record-deal-with-bodog-music/ |title=DMX Inks Record Deal With Bodog Music |last1=West |first1=Rudy |last2=DMX |date=December 19, 2007 |work=allhiphop.com |publisher=AllHipHop.com, Inc. |access-date=June 18, 2013}}</ref>
Ayre also launched ''Calvin Ayre WildCard Poker'', a televised poker series on Fox Sports Net featuring pro and celebrity players facing off against online qualifiers. In March 2006, filming of party scenes for the first-season finale at Ayre's compound outside San Jose, Costa Rica, was raided by an estimated 100 police who were under the mistaken impression gambling was taking place. Ayre, who was not charged, used the media spotlight provided by the raid to promote the series and the Bodog brand. He made light of the raid, claiming the police "ate half my buffet."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sask-born-billionaire-shrugs-off-police-raid-1.598867 |title=Sask.-born billionaire shrugs off police raid |date=July 20, 2006 |work=www.cbc.ca |publisher=CBC |access-date=June 18, 2013}}</ref>
Bodog branched out into sports with the launch of ''Bodog Fight'', a mixed martial arts league incorporating a television series and live pay-per-view events.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamblingonlinemagazine.com/gambling-features.php?articleID=75 |title=The Last of the Famous International Playboys |work=www.gamblingonlinemagazine.com |publisher=Gambling Online Magazine |access-date=June 18, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130222060223/http://www.gamblingonlinemagazine.com/gambling-features.php?articleID=75 |archive-date=February 22, 2013 }}</ref>
===Bitcoin involvement=== In June 2016, Andrew O'Hagan published a writer's account of the background behind Craig Wright publicly asserting himself to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the inventor of Bitcoin cryptocurrency, which made the news in May 2016. He revealed Ayre to be part of the business operation behind this affair, possibly even its ultimate organizer and the financial backer of the $30 million acquisition and development of Craig Wright's assets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lrb.co.uk/v38/n13/andrew-ohagan/the-satoshi-affair|title=Andrew O'Hagan - The Satoshi Affair|date=June 30, 2016|access-date=June 23, 2016}}</ref> In August 2017, Ayre acquired cryptocurrency news site Coingeek.com.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Golstein |first1=Simon |title=Squire Mining in Talks to Purchase CoinGeek for $45 Million {{!}} Finance Magnates |url=https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/news/squire-mining-to-purchase-coingeek-for-45-million/ |website=Finance Magnates {{!}} Financial and business news |access-date=27 January 2021 |language=en |date=2 December 2018}}</ref>
As of 2018, Ayre is involved with the BSV Blockchain.<ref>{{cite web |title=Teranode Realises the Potential of Blockchain Technology |url=https://thefintechtimes.com/teranode-realises-the-potential-of-blockchain-technology/ |website=The Fintech Times |access-date=18 July 2024 |date=18 March 2024}}</ref>
In 2020, Ayre sold his Bitcoin mining operations to Canadian firm TAAL Distributed Information Technologies Inc.<ref>{{cite web |title=Material Change Report |url=https://webfiles.thecse.com/sedar_filings/00036887/2002171636526818.pdf |website=Canadian Securities Exchange |access-date=31 May 2021}}</ref> In April 2021, Ayre Group Ventures invested in Mijem Inc., a Canada-based social media and technology company. The investment aimed to support Mijem's growth, including implementing a Bitcoin SV-based cashback system.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ayre Group Ventures completes investment in social marketplace company Mijem |url=https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/ayre-group-ventures-completes-investment-in-social-marketplace-company-mijem-1030277287 |website=Business insider}}</ref> In 2023, Ayre Group acquired a controlling interest in nChain, a blockchain and web3 IP library.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Alston |first1=Fiona |title=Calvin Ayre's Ayre Group acquires majority stake in nChain in $570M deal |url=https://tech.eu/2023/08/01/ayre-group-acquires-nchain-in-blockchain-deal/ |website=tech.eu}}</ref>
Ayre briefly supported the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) blockchain<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kharif |first1=Olga |title=Bitcoin Cash's Survival in Question as Possible Split Looms |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-18/bitcoin-cash-s-survival-in-question-as-possible-split-looms |website=Bloomberg.com |access-date=27 January 2021 |language=en |date=18 September 2018}}</ref> but withdrew his support in 2018 because the chain was preparing to make changes to the protocol that Ayre opposed. Ayre maintains that although Bitcoin SV (Satoshi Vision) trades under the ticker BSV, it is the original Bitcoin protocol because it hasn't undergone the significant deviations from the Bitcoin white paper that have been imposed on the BCH and BTC blockchains.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vardi |first1=Nathan |title='Craig is Satoshi': a former online gambling mogul's contentious campaign to change Bitcoin's future |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/craig-is-satoshi-a-former-online-gambling-moguls-contentious-campaign-to-change-bitcoins-future-11641906128 |website=MarketWatch |access-date=21 June 2022 |language=EN-US}}</ref> Ayre predicted that the BTC token, which he refers to as “the Segwit coin that's erroneously still called ‘bitcoin,’” would "go to zero value as it has no utility, it does not do anything and [its supporters] are intentionally anti-scaling.”<ref>{{cite web |last1=Parkin |first1=Darren |title=Bitcoin WARNING: BTC will be 'WORTHLESS and have ZERO VALUE' in 2019 |url=https://www.express.co.uk/finance/city/1060113/Bitcoin-price-latest-news-updates-BTC-cryptocurrency-forecast-2019-crv |website=Express.co.uk |access-date=14 March 2019 |language=en |date=17 December 2018}}</ref>
=== Real estate development ===
In 2018, Ayre revealed plans to build a $100 million five-star resort on Antigua's Valley Church beach. He claimed that the project would be entirely funded by profits he made from trading Bitcoin, of which he was an early investor.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.casinoreviews.co.uk/news/industry/calvin-ayre-build-100m-antiguan-resort-bitcoin-profits.html |title=Calvin Ayre to Build $100m Antiguan Resort with Bitcoin Profits |language=en |date=February 20, 2018 |publisher=CasinoReviews.co.uk |access-date=February 21, 2018}}</ref>
In November 2019, Ayre opened Canada Place, a $40 million, five-story office complex in St. John's, Antigua that will host up to 600 workers by 2020. Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne called Canada Place, which features a solar panel array, "easily the most impressive building on the island, hands down."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Thomas |first1=Latrishka |title=Calvin Ayre opens 'most impressive building on the island' deemed a modern green facility |url=https://www.antiguaobserver.com/calvin-ayre-opens-most-impressive-building-on-the-island-deemed-a-modern-green-facility/ |website=Antigua Observer Newspaper |access-date=25 November 2019 |date=25 November 2019}}</ref>
In the Antigua and Barbuda government's 2023 budget statement, Browne said Ayre had begun construction of a $40 million conference retreat center on Antigua's southern side.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Browne |first1=Gaston A. |title=2023 BUDGET STATEMENT |url=https://ab.gov.ag/pdf/budget/2023_Budget_Statement.pdf |website=Antigua and Barbuda’s Government Information and Services |access-date=17 May 2023}}</ref> On October 16, 2024, Ayre helped break ground on the US$400 million Nikki Beach Resort and Spa Antigua, a partnership between the Ayre Group and Nikki Beach Hospitality Group.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 16, 2024 |title=The Ayre Group and Nikki Beach Hospitality Group partner to bring a resort to Antigua |url=https://antiguaobserver.com/the-ayre-group-and-nikki-beach-hospitality-group-partner-to-bring-a-resort-to-antigua/ |access-date=October 20, 2024 |website=Antigua Observer}}</ref> Browne, who participated in the groundbreaking ceremony, called the project “an anchor for our tourism product” that would help “transform Antigua and Barbuda into an economic powerhouse.” Scheduled to open in Jolly Harbour in 2028, the project is expected to provide 300 direct jobs and up to 1,000 indirect jobs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Simon |first=Samantha |date=October 18, 2024 |title=Nikki Beach Resort groundbreaking signals major economic boost for Antigua |url=https://antiguaobserver.com/nikki-beach-resort-groundbreaking-signals-major-economic-boost-for-antigua/ |access-date=October 20, 2024 |website=Antigua Observer}}</ref>
==Philanthropy== Ayre and Bodog have supported charitable causes including the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation and actress Shannon Elizabeth’s Animal Avengers organization.<ref name="pokerroomreview">{{cite web |url=http://pokerroomreview.com/interviews/interview-with-bodog-owner-calvin-ayre/ |title=Interview with Bodog Owner Calvin Ayre |last1=Ferguson |first1=Mike |date=July 7, 2006 |work=pokerroomreview.com |access-date=June 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120909003647/http://pokerroomreview.com/interviews/interview-with-bodog-owner-calvin-ayre/ |archive-date=September 9, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2005, Ayre formalized his charitable efforts under the banner of the Calvin Ayre Foundation, which focused on areas including animal welfare, the environment and education for the disadvantaged. The foundation has supported needy families, elementary schools and physical rehabilitation centers in Costa Rica, worked with groups to combat bear bile farming in Asia, and provided funding to enable individuals to pursue higher education. In 2010, the foundation matched funds raised by the online gambling industry for relief efforts tied to the devastating earthquake in Haiti.<ref name=pokerroomreview />
In 2006, Ayre produced ''Bodog Salutes The Troops'', a weekend of entertainment for US military personnel in Hawaii, footage of which appeared in a one-hour special on Spike TV.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bluff.com/magazine/beach-bodog-babes-and-snoop-dogg-bodog-com-salutes-the-troops-10908/ |title=Beach, Bodog Babes and Snoop Dogg: Bodog.com Salutes the Troops |date=October 2005 |work=www.bluff.com |publisher=Bluff Holding Company |access-date=June 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712085429/http://www.bluff.com/magazine/beach-bodog-babes-and-snoop-dogg-bodog-com-salutes-the-troops-10908/ |archive-date=July 12, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Following the extensive damage Typhoon Haiyan inflicted on the Philippines in November 2013, Ayre donated $200,000 to local relief efforts. The Calvin Ayre Foundation also pledged to match gaming industry members' individual donations to typhoon relief up to $1 million.<ref>{{cite news|last=Walsh |first=Jeff |url=http://pokerfuse.com/news/live-and-online/the-calvin-ayre-foundation-pledges-up-to-1-million-in-typhoon-relief-12-11/ |title=The Calvin Ayre Foundation Pledges Up To 1 Million In Typhoon Relief |publisher=Pokerfuse Online Poker News |date=November 12, 2013 |access-date=2014-06-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Diola |first=Camille |url=http://www.philstar.com/business/2013/11/13/1256278/london-group-dares-gambling-industry-raise-1-m-philippines |title=London group dares gambling industry: Raise $1-M for Philippines |publisher=The Philippine Star |date=2013-11-13 |access-date=2014-06-29}}</ref>
In 2016, Ayre’s foundation was operating in Antigua, where Ayre is based,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://antiguaobserver.com/gaming-mogul-says-the-country-is-poised-to-gain-from-global-bitcoin-convergence/ |title=Gaming mogul says the country is poised to gain from global Bitcoin convergence |date=October 2016 |work=www.antiguaobserver.com/}}</ref> and the Philippines, providing relief and rehabilitation assistance to a school and communities devastated by typhoons in Northern Samar located in central Philippines, and donating $200,000 to a fund dedicated to ensuring deserving Antiguan students get access to premier education.<ref>{{cite web |title=200k to Island Academy |url=https://antiguaobserver.com/calvin-ayre-foundation-donates-us-200k-to-island-academy/ |website=Antigua Observer}}</ref> In 2017, Ayre was presented with a special award for his philanthropic efforts by the Halo Foundation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Honorary Awardees |url=https://foundationhalo.org/honorary-awardees/ |website=Halo}}</ref>
In July 2018, during the "Wings of Charity" ceremony held in London by the Halo Foundation, Antigua and Barbuda's Governor General Sir Rodney Williams presented Ayre with the foundation's special award for his philanthropic efforts in support of the vulnerable and underprivileged in Antigua and Barbuda.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ambassador Calvin Ayre Awarded For Philanthropy |url=https://antiguanewsroom.com/ambassador-calvin-ayre-awarded-for-philanthropy/ |website=Antigua News Room}}</ref>
On November 14, 2019, Antigua and Barbuda Governor General His Excellency Sir Rodney Williams presented Ayre with the Faithful and Meritorious Service Cross award in recognition of Ayre's philanthropic efforts and contributions to the country's national development.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Knight |first1=Carlena |title=Recipient of latest honour calls on more fortunate individuals to give back |url=https://www.antiguaobserver.com/recipient-of-latest-honour-calls-on-more-fortunate-individuals-to-give-back/ |website=Antigua Observer Newspaper |access-date=16 November 2019 |date=15 November 2019}}</ref>
==Criminal charges== In February 2012, Ayre and three other individuals were indicted by the US Attorney for Maryland on charges of illegal gambling related to conduct that occurred before the 2006 passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Ayre released a statement saying he viewed the indictment as "abuse of the US criminal justice system for the commercial gain of large US corporations." Ayre also noted that the US Attorney had seized Bodog.com.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/bodog-gambling-site-shut-down-canadian-owner-indicted-1.1159011 |title=Bodog gambling site shut down, Canadian owner indicted |date=February 29, 2012 |work=www.cbc.ca |publisher=CBC |access-date=June 18, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.antiguaobserver.com/wto-online-gaming-ruling-could-be-trouble-for-united-states/ |title=WTO online gaming ruling could be trouble for United States |date=February 11, 2013 |work=www.antiguaobserver.com |publisher=Antigua Observer |access-date=June 18, 2013}}</ref>
In July 2017, US federal prosecutors dropped the remaining charges against Ayre and Bodog<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.igamingbusiness.com/news/us-drops-all-charges-against-calvin-ayre |title=US drops all charges against Calvin Ayre |date=July 17, 2017 |publisher=iGaming Business |access-date= August 11, 2017}}</ref> after Ayre pled guilty to a single misdemeanor charge.<ref name=forbes2/> The Bodog.com domain has since been returned to its owners after it had been seized by US federal prosecutors as part of the criminal case.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bettingplanet.com/news/us-prosecutors-drop-all-charges-against-calvin-ayre-and-bodog/ |title=US prosecutors drop all charges against Calvin Ayre and Bodog|date=July 16, 2017 |publisher=Betting Planet |access-date=August 11, 2017}}</ref> Judge Catherine Blake sentenced Ayre to one year of unsupervised probation and a $500,000 fine.<ref name=forbes2/>
In September 2017, think tank Democracy Institute published Patrick Basham's case study<ref name="DemocracyInstitute.org">{{cite web |last1=Basham |first1=Patrick |title=Do As I Say, Not As I Do: How The WTO, Antigua & A Canadian Overcame American Hypocrisy On Free Trade |url=https://democracyinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/DI-America-WTO-Antigua-online-gambling-report.pdf |website=DemocracyInstitute.org |access-date=20 August 2019}}</ref> slamming US trade hypocrisy over online gambling dispute with Antigua-Barbuda. The report calls the US government's prosecution of Ayre highly irregular, ill-advised, and unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite web |title=New report slams US trade hypocrisy over online gambling dispute with Antigua-Barbuda – Caribbean News Now |url=https://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/2017/09/05/new-report-slams-us-trade-hypocrisy-over-online-gambling-dispute-with-antigua-barbuda/ |website=www.caribbeannewsnow.com |access-date=20 August 2019}}</ref> The study states that Ayre's conviction ran afoul of the WTO's ruling as to America's General Agreement on Trade in Services obligations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds285_e.htm/|title= DS285: United States — Measures Affecting the Cross-Border Supply of Gambling and Betting Services|publisher=World Trade Organization}}</ref>
{{blockquote|Critically, it found that the Illegal Gambling Business Act, which made it illegal for anyone to conduct a gambling business, was explicitly in conflict with America’s commitment under subsection 10D. Hence, the Appellate Body Report concluded that America was in violation of its obligations under its GATS Schedule by maintaining and enforcing these laws.<ref name="DemocracyInstitute.org"/>}}
The review claims that law enforcement officials tried to intimidate Ayre years before the indictments against him were filed, and that prosecutors "…covertly reached out to Ayre through respective third parties … including Ayre’s known business associates and industry contacts, to ‘encourage’ Ayre to make a US$350 million payment to the US Treasury."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reviewed-casinos.com/news/trials-tribulations-antigua-calvin-ayre/ |title= The trials and tribulations of antigua and Calvin Ayre |date=September 5, 2017 |publisher=Reviewed Casinos}}</ref>
The government of Antigua and Barbuda welcomed Ayre’s vindication as part of the failure of the US to comply with World Trade Organization ruling on Internet Gaming.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sbcnews.co.uk/northamerica/2017/08/04/antigua-calls-wto-resolution-us-dropping-calvin-ayre-charges/amp/ |title=Antigua calls for WTO resolution with US after the dropping of Calvin Ayre charges |date=August 5, 2017 |publisher=SBC News |access-date=August 11, 2017}}</ref> The twin islands government said in a statement, "In light of the WTO ruling in Antigua and Barbuda’s favour, prosecutions by the United States of licensed gaming entities and their principals in Antigua and Barbuda, such as Calvin Ayre, are completely contrary to binding international agreements. In this context, Calvin Ayre and all other Antigua and Barbuda licensed gaming operators, who were indicted in the United States on Internet Gaming charges, are victims not culprits."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sbcnews.co.uk/northamerica/2017/08/04/antigua-calls-wto-resolution-us-dropping-calvin-ayre-charges/amp/ |title=Antigua calls for WTO resolution with US after the dropping of Calvin Ayre charges |date=August 5, 2017 |publisher=SBC News|access-date=August 11, 2017}}</ref>
==See also== *List of Internet entrepreneurs * List of University of Waterloo people
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayre, Calvin}} Category:1961 births Category:Businesspeople from Saskatchewan Category:Businesspeople in the casino industry Category:People from Lloydminster Category:Living people