In a clear implementation of its “Bros first” policy, BodogBrand has offered Tiger Woods a 5-year $100 million sponsorship deal with a non-morality clause. What goes on in Tiger’s personal life stays will stay in his personal life, and Bodog will honor its deal regardless of his conduct.

From Calvin Ayre himself, founder of Bodog:

‘BodogBrand feel they are the only ones who can extend a deal that will be totally unaffected by any non-golf related activity. We actively encourage and endorse employees and customers alike to “Play Hard”,’ he said.

But the stone-cold pimpingest thing that Ayre has said about the whole situation?

‘To be clear, BodogBrand is not telling Tiger “all is forgiven”. In BodogBrand’s eyes, there is nothing to forgive.’

I reckon there is something for his wife to forgive, but the rest of us? No. What did he do to the public, other than provide a convenient gossip topic? I see where you’re coming from, Calvin, and I think potential Bodog players will too.

I like the spirit of this deal, and I like that it offers serious money. Tiger has had slumps in the past, yet he always recovers from them. Aside from the scandal, he has also been suffering from a neck injury, so a lot is going against him right now. Nevertheless, even if he misses the Memorial Tournament and plays poorly in the US Open, he is still going to recover over the 5 years of the sponsorship deal. Offering Tiger $100 million acknowledges that he is still the best in the world, and that Bodog isn’t trying to give Tiger a bum deal because of his recent ill fortune.

Regardless of whether the deal goes through, Bodog certainly has our attention! If you would like to bet on sports, play poker or try your luck in the casino, then sign up for a Bodog account today.

NBA commissioner David Stern let slip this week in an interview with Sports Illustrated, that the league is now open to the prospect of regulated sports betting on it’s games.

It created a firestorm of interest around the web and media agencies. And to be honest I’ve been a little astounded by some of the negativity and ignorance shown by some respected journalists reporting the change in direction. How do they get through life ignorant to what is happening in the rest of the world and only forming opinions based on their own little neighborhood? They couldn’t be so against Stern’s thoughts if they had done the slightest bit of research on the topic at all and seen what the rest of the world has been doing for years.

Many have derided Stern for what is simply an admission that gambling happens now anyway, so why not benefit from it? It’s logical, and forward thinking from the most respected commissioner in pro sports.

He said quite candidly that “”The betting issues are actually going to become more intense as states in the U.S. and governments in the world decide that the answers to all of their monetary shortfalls are the tax that is gambling.”

He may be the first US sports leader to think like this, but he’s still a long way behind the rest of the world. Nearly everywhere has regulated & taxed sports betting already. The US is the only developed western nation I know of where it’s citizens don’t have the freedom to walk down the street to legally place a bet on their favorite sports team – except in Nevada of course.

The Author of the piece, Ian Thomsen, had this to say; “My take, as written several times over the years, is that legalized betting on professional sports in the U.S. is inevitable for two reasons: (1) If sports wagering becomes a legal and taxable form of revenue, then governments will actively police sports betting in order to protect that revenue base, as well as to safe-guard the leagues that create the windfall of new taxes; and (2) Betting on games will create more fan interest and, ultimately, bring in more money to the NBA and other leagues.”

It’s just a pity that it has taken the lure of dollars to make more people in the USA see the light when it comes to regulated gambling on sports. Why couldn’t they have just done this already because it makes sense? The land of the free is more like land of the ‘nothing comes for free’ these days.

In light of the NBA’s change in thinking, BetUS has posted odds on which sports league will regulate gambling on their games first. Of course the NBA is an almost unbackable 2/3 favorite. They’re also favorite to have an NBA team in Las Vegas first at 1/1.

I know I’d love to see the Las Vegas Kings in town! But who needs ANOTHER excuse to visit Vegas?!

Bodog Founder Calvin Ayre has a new website where he pays people to regurgitate stories circulating around the online gambling sites and he occasionally uploads a video.  It’s okay to check out every so often, but to be honest I was expecting better when I heard about it.

In a recent vid, he answers the question “What is your biggest ever bar tab?” Here it is …

My questions are. What barns has Calvin been hanging out in? And how was the tab €33,000 before 1994 (when Bodog was launched) , when the Euro was only introduced as a currency in 1999?

Anyway, Calvin will be good for a laugh every so often, even if his uncomfortable delivery of his scripted lines is funnier than the actual material! Don’t get me wrong, I admire what he’s doing – and it is good for online gambling. But I just find it amusing how he always tries to talk big and act like such a high rollin’ pimp. He seems like a nice guy, he should just be himself more!