Bodog88 and Bodog India Abruptly Shut Down Operations in 2020

We have received word through our affiliate contacts that Bodog Asia (Bodog88) and Bodog India have “ceased business operations” as of Sept. 28, 2020. These organizations are sportsbooks with attached casino products and a pooled poker platform on the PaiWangLuo Network.

What Countries Are Affected?

The names Bodog India and Bodog Asia give a pretty good idea of where they were active, but Bodog India actually focused on more than just that one county, and Bodog Asia was not in operation across the entire continent. These are the jurisdictions from which each organization welcomed customers:

Bodog88/Bodog Asia

• Cambodia
• China
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Malaysia
• South Korea
• Thailand
• Vietnam
• Australia (stopped January 2020)

Bodog India

• Bangladesh
• India
• Nepal
• Sri Lanka

Unsettled bets placed by users from these countries are going to be cancelled and the corresponding funds returned to their balances. Withdrawals will be processed “as soon as possible.” Given the stellar reputation for payouts of this group – as attested in our monthly offshore gaming cashouts report – we expect all customers to receive their money without undue delay.

Why Are These Sites Closing?

According to the statement provided to us, “they decided to exit the market out of respect for local restrictions, and in order to keep their players safe.” This is very vague language, but reading between the lines, we think that it reflects the changing environment for online wagering in two of the largest markets on the list of countries served by Bodog88 and Bodog India.

About the Chinese Gaming Situation

The authorities in Beijing have never been shy about expressing their disapproval for gambling. In fact, there are only two parts of the country where any forms of brick-and-mortar gambling are permitted: Macau and Hong Kong. The online sphere used to be largely ignored, but this has been changing over the past few years.

The Chinese government has been attempting to disrupt all internet-based sports betting, casino, and poker businesses. This crackdown has even extended to social poker apps that use only play chips, which have been prohibited since June 2018. Then in June 2020, China revealed that it had arrested 11,500 people in four months as part of a cross-border gambling crackdown.

At the beginning of September, poker behemoth PokerStars announced that it would stop doing business in China, motivated perhaps in part by the attention now being devoted to online betting by officials. Therefore, we certainly understand Bodog opting to follow a similar course.

About Online Gaming in India

Circumstances in India are not as clear-cut because it's not a unitary system directed from the top down, as in China, but rather a democracy with separate federal, state, and local governing groups. Thus, the legality of gambling over the internet varies from place to place within the country.

Still, there have been centralized efforts in India to combat foreign online gambling enterprises, many of which are ironically headquartered in China. Fears of data mining of individuals' personal data and possible nefarious plans on the part of China have spurred on these attempts to suppress internet gambling. Earlier in September, the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh banned all types of online betting, including card games like poker.

It may be the case that the combination of these factors has persuaded Bodog management that the Indian market might not turn out to be as lucrative as previously supposed.

Status of the Other Bodog Sites

Ever since Black Friday 2011 in the United States, the Bodog group has become increasingly sophisticated in spreading its gaming portfolio across multiple corporations located in offices around the world. Therefore, whenever there's an alteration in the legal regime in any particular place, only the companies within those areas are directly affected. The other parts of the conglomerate can continue serving their clients like normal.

Canada-Facing Bodog.eu Site

Canadians still have recourse to the renowned Bodog.eu website. And bettors in several Latin American countries can still place their bets and play cards at Bodog.com. We've prepared a comprehensive Bodog review in case you wish to find out more about these all-in-one gaming portals. Americans meanwhile can access Bovada.lv, which offers a similar gameplay experience.

Where Can Booted Users Play?

If you’re from one of the parts of the world that cannot wager anymore at Bodog India or Bodog88, then there's no need to worry. There are other reputable firms that are ready to handle your action.

Australians, who were kicked of Bodog88 back in January, can register for an Ignition Casino account. Besides casino games, it also houses a poker room, and you can get a bonus of up to $1,000 for each of these products. Check out our reliable Ignition review page for additional insight into this option.

For those in the other affected countries, we heartily recommend TigerGaming. Upon making your first deposit, you'll get a 100% up to $1,000 bonus for the poker room, and there are other promotions to claim for the sportsbook and casino too. Head over to our no-nonsense TigerGaming review to learn more about this site.