A Snapshot: Calvin Ayre

Calvin Ayre is just one of those characters that is larger than life, and he has gotten so far due to his devil-may-care attitude and penchant for getting into scrapes. Calvin Ayre of course, is the owner and creator of Bodog Casino, the highly controversial slots and poker website. The main thing that sets this gentleman apart from the rest is that he has accomplished so much, from being on the cover of Forbes magazine, to having multimillion dollar properties, all by taking illegal online bets from American citizens. All the while he has pushed the limit, wondering when the other shoe will drop, but still having the time of his life.

He has been a bad boy all his life. Ayre started out in Canada where he has been prohibited from practicing business for 20 years, due to an insider trading debacle. Although he settled that whole issue without having to go to trial, he has not been back just in case. He now lives in Antigua, where he has a super mansion with servants at his beck and call, and all of his money has come from online casinos.

Perhaps what is the most interesting is that, no matter how many countries Calvin Ayre is in trouble with, he has always been a big advocate for charitable causes. He has sponsored several nonprofit organizations over the years, most of which focus on children and families in impoverished nations. He has even created his own initiatives. Perhaps the biggest “bad boy” contradiction of them all is that he has retired from running his company and has sold it in order to devote himself full time to working with his charities.

All of these things make for a complicated individual, with a great sense of humor and a desire for fun, but at the bottom of all these layers is a truly warm, giving heart.

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