He's rich, single & loving it

Gambling mogul's life

It's Super Bowl weekend, and Calvin Ayre is at an incredible party. Single and with money to burn, he is surrounded by gorgeous models from the Lingerie Bowl.

Although it's a fantasy to millions of guys, this is just an average day for this sports-wagering industry mogul.

From growing up on a pig farm to becoming the founder and CEO of Bodog.com -- the most recognized offshore sportsbook used by United States gamblers, Ayre is on a heck of a ride.

Not too shabby for somebody who grew up in Lashburn, a small rural Saskatchewan town.

"It's a crazy life I am living right now. It's over the top in fact," said Ayre, 44, from Miami, just a short hop from his home in Costa Rica.

The Canadian is a self-made billionaire -- one of just two billionaires in the sportsbook industry.

In 2005, Bodog received 17 million sports wagers for a combined total of $1.2 billion US, nearly double the amount from 2004.

"Anybody (who) says money doesn't buy happiness has never had money," said Ayre, "because I have been poor and I have had money and I can tell you being poor is worse. I have been under water (before), I've been negative $100,000 in my life."

But his life took a dramatic turn when he read a simple article almost 15 years ago.

HASN'T FORGOTTEN ROOTS

"I started the Bodog Entertainment Group with only $10,000," continued Ayre. "I first envisioned a software company but quickly shifted gears after reading an article on international sports betting companies that had utilized phones for wagering."

The goal shifted toward starting an online sportsbook.

Although he is a celebrity in the gaming industry and has more money than he knows what to do with, Ayre hasn't forgotten his roots.

Located 29 km east of the Alberta/Saskatchewan border city, Lashburn doesn't appear in Ayre's biography or stories about him in gaming circles. However, he has nothing but fond memories of his childhood in the tiny prairie town.

He still goes home, but it has been nearly two years.

The early days of Bodog.com, which was finally launched in 2000, were anything but easy.

"Bodog.com was the industry laughing stock when they first came on to gambling911.com (forums)," said Christopher Costigan, president of gambling911.com, a leading website for wagering news and discussions.

People laughed at the company's name while others questioned Ayre's aggressive growth projections.

But nobody is laughing now.

"The majority of sports bettors are first introduced to the industry by way of Bodog.com or Sportsbook.com due to both companies' mainstream marketing attempts. Ayre is a marketing genius."

His latest move has been to sign a 10-year sponsorship deal with the Lingerie Bowl, a pay-per view event designed to be a halftime-viewing alternative for Super Bowl fans.

As well as surrounding him with Playboy models on Super Bowl weekend, the deal has also brought media attention to Ayre and Bodog.

Bodog's brand has also been tied to the Hollywood blockbuster movie Two For The Money.

Movie scenes were shot in a restaurant owned by Bodog, and the sportsbook's brand was splashed everywhere during the after-party of the premiere in Beverly Hills.

Bodog and its founder are barely known in Canada because the company doesn't advertise here or accept wagers from Canadians.

The B.C. Securities Commission nailed Ayre in October 1996 for insider trading as president of Bicer Medical Systems. He is banned from the Vancouver Stock Exchange for another 10 years and was fined.

"I was just out of university and I failed to follow the rules of filing the proper paper work," he explained. "Nobody got hurt; it wasn't a criminal issue, and I settled with them."