British group Bowmans International's online gambling operations
in the United States have been halted, with all US players transferred
to the fast growing Bodog betting group which operates from Costa
Rica.
Although Bowman's is British-owned it is operated from the island
of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. No details are available on the
reasons for the US withdrawal, but strong speculation is that it is
a consequence of the UIGEA legislation recently passed in America
which seeks to disrupt the financial transactions by American players
with offshore Internet casinos, poker rooms and sportsbooks.
In a message to players, Bowmans said that effective November 28th,
2006, all Bowmans.com players registered in the USA will receive their
online gaming and telephone betting service from Bodog.com.
Describing Bodog as "An established player in the e-gaming
industry, Antigua-based Bodog is one of the world’s fastest
growing media and digital entertainment companies. As a new Bodog
customer, you will have full access to their comprehensive suite of
online gaming and betting services," the announcement
did not reveal details of any commercial deal with the Costa Rican
company.
All player account details are being migrated to Bodog.com, and all
bets and deposits will be honored. Players can find details about
their Bodog account number and password in an email that every registered
Bowmans player has been sent, which also includes a special "thank
you" offer.
Both Bowmans and Bodog have signed confidentiality agreements to assure
that all customer data will be kept confidential between the two companies.