Where is Calvin Ayre?

[wangpoker]

I am shocked to know this. I've been guessing who is the owner of 9group. spearmaster, is it true?

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Is Calvin Ayres, the Canadian online gambling tycoon, founder of a six billion dollar a year online casino business hiding out? In today's world there aren't very many places where a person like Calvin Ayres can do that. A Forbes magazine story about Ayre in 2006 entitled "Catch Me If You Can." listed Mr. Ayres in the billionaires of the world category.

It is rumoured about in insider circles that Calvin Ayres is now living in Phuket, Thailand where he has bought a house apparently for $8 million USD. With another $5 million USD, he was going to blow on a jet, he is said to be venture funding a sports betting operation based in Malaysia and The Philippines.

Mr. Ayre's other online gambling operations are now based in the Antigua and Barbuda jurisdiction safer now after the U.S. ban on online wagering destroyed his earning power in the U.S.A.

The new company is called 9 Group and is run by Alan Randall, formerly of 888 and Victor Chandler. Targeting the huge Chinese market has been the main focus of 9 Group so far. The software is powered by Australia's BetOptions and the live dealer casino by Entertasia of Macau.

Malaysian billionaire Vincent Tan sold his sports betting company Ascot Sports to 9 Group so that 9 Group could utilize its sports betting license in The Philippines under the name First Cagayan. The plan looks set to promote games for fun websites in China in order to build a customer database which will then be converted into sports wagering online casino players.

A task fit for any tycoon, breaking into the rich Chinese market hasn't been easy so far. The Chinese Government has already closed down the website once and on top of that hackers trashed the site when it first launched.

[spearmaster]

I don't have firm information on this but to the best of my knowledge, it is probably true.

However, the information on the sports betting license is not correct, as Ascot was licensed in the Isle of Man for sportsbetting, and in Cagayan for an online casino. But it does look like the software packages originally used have been changed... so it is entirely possible they have also acquired a license in Cagayan for sports betting.

[vinylweatherman]

He sure likes to live dangerously

Online Gambling is even MORE illegal in China than in the USA. In the US, he would at least have his "human rights" to fall back on, and to tie any legal moves up in knots (as he has shown).

I also believe it is illegal in Thailand, or certainly this is what a few online casinos would have us believe.

That bit about using a Chinese "fun" site as a lure to effectively "steal" personal information to be passed, or sold on, for the purposes of illiciting what is an illegal activity as far as China is concerned from these "fun" players, describes what we know is true, and what is always denied, that our details DO sometimes get sold on for "marketing purposes", or to use the technical term "spamming".

Calvin will have to take care not to set foot on Chinese soil, nor that of any country with an extradition treaty with China, nor one that China can bully. Given that Calvin has humiliated the US authorities, there is considerable kudos available to China if they could nab him, and put a stop to his entire online empire.

He will surely run out of boltholes!

[winbig]

He will surely run out of boltholes!

And buttholes, if he lands in a chinese prison

</bad joke>

[spearmaster]

I also believe it is illegal in Thailand, or certainly this is what a few online casinos would have us believe.

Irrelevant - the company is located in Malaysia. He just apparently owns a house in Phuket.

And besides the fact that online gambling is not illegal in the US, technically it's not illegal in China either, except that they choose to prosecute under general laws against gambling.

And do also mind that game sites for fun are not illegal at all - so assuming Calvin is the owner, he can still freely set foot in China.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, ok?

[RobWin]

Irrelevant - the company is located in Malaysia. He just apparently owns a house in Phuket.

And besides the fact that online gambling is not illegal in the US, technically it's not illegal in China either, except that they choose to prosecute under general laws against gambling.

And do also mind that game sites for fun are not illegal at all - so assuming Calvin is the owner, he can still freely set foot in China.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, ok?

Yes, but would it be wise for him to?

[wangpoker]

vinylweatherman, I am laughing when I read your post. Calvin Ayres is very safe if he operates outside China Mainland and isn't a Chinese Citizen. He can go inside China boarder freely. Years ago one player committed frauds at Macau-Slots, Stanley Ho directly went to the China police and asked for help.

Do you know which companies process funds for these gambling operators such as bet365, Victor Chandler, Ladbrokes, all licensees in Philippine? Most of them use ISP (http://www.ips.com.cn/), some of them also use YeePay (http://www.yeepay.com/) and UDPAY (http://www.udpay.com.cn/). These processors work together with national financial institute CHINA UNIONPAY or CHINA POST. THESE COMPANIES ARE IN CHINA. Neteller(1-pay) is in Macau, does it worry about crackdown some day? Absolutely no!

DO you still think Online Gambling is even MORE illegal in China than in the USA?

Chinese players play online poker, casino and sports at home or Cyberbars. They don't worry much. Even they are caught by Cyber Police (a special filter deployed on China internet.). The penalty is a very small fine. This rarely happens. Personal play is very safe. Organize/gang gambling in China is crime by law. It's another story.

In every campaign the government first cracks down political websites, then porn websites, then fraud websites, then underground gambling gangs. Online gambling isn't one of top priorities.

The "fun" affiliate of 9group is called 9direct. It advertises on all kinds of media: sports magazine, newspaper, TV, radio...It's even a sponsor of one League A football club. Its cheap laborers spam all websites 24/7 (it's one of the most effective marketing methods in China). They pay out a lot of small prized, gifts. People like these. IT'S LEGAL. NOBODY CARES ABOUT THAT. Conscious people has no voice in government. Government has other big issues to look after. The law is ambiguous in many ways.

[RobWin]

DO you still think Online Gambling is even MORE illegal in China than in the USA?

Chinese players play online poker, casino and sports at home or Cyberbars. They don't worry much.

We still do the same here in the states too, all the UIGEA did was to hinder a few deposit and withdrawal methods, that's all...it's still a joke. They will never be able to Totally stop online gambling from the states as long as there are ways to deposit and withdraw and also the use of proxy servers.

[pokeraddict]

I believe it is Calvin "Ayre" isn't it?

[wangpoker]

I believe it is Calvin "Ayre" isn't it?

Yes, it's Calvin Ayre