Sports Handicapping – Tips, Picks and Betting

Online Betting, Casinos and Bookies in Costa Rica

Canadian billionaire Calvin Ayre is the operator of Bodog, one of the largest online gambling website that used to operate out of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica has long been one of the more loosely regulated jurisdictions for online casinos and sports books. Operators need only a business license from the government to set up Internet gambling servers. And because of this, you can just about count on that every online bet is being funnel through  Costa Rica.

Online betting websites like Bodog and BetUS are two of the biggest in the World, both operate out of Costa Rica, San Jose region.  Calvin Ayre, owner of Bodog, started the company in late 1999 with 10,000 US dollars and by the end of 2006, it was estimated that Bodog was taking in over 6 billion in yearly betting revenue, with 5 billion just in US dollars!

However, what really established Costa Rica as the nucleus of online gambling was  the 2007 US crackdown on online gambling. One particular indictment on BetUS.com where the Feds alleged that the defendants facilitated payments of more than $150 million to illegal Internet gambling websites. And U.S. government  seizer of $24 million from bank accounts linked to Bodog,  claiming, the sports betting giant was operating illegal-under-U.S.-law Internet gaming operation. These crackdowns sent bookies, sports book agencies and handicappers swarming to Costa Rica.

Online business opened faster then a popped champaign cork, with celebrating profits flowing just as fast. Hundreds of mini online sports booking and casino sites opened up overnight in San Jose and in other parts of Costa Rica …  more on this at Costa Rica Online Gambling