The August 4th issue of ESPN the Magazine includes an in-depth feature article on the operations of BoDog Sportsbook & Casino entitled "Click n' Pick".
Written by EPSN's sports business reporter, Darren Rovell, the article details the rise of BoDog to it's current status in the industry as a leader.
"We've worked very hard to make BoDog what it is today," said BoDog President, Rob Gillespie. "To have one of the world's largest sports media organizations recognize our efforts is a big moment for this company."
The article was part of a series in the issue entitled "Betting Nation" detailing the sports betting industry and its growing popularity and acceptance.
BoDog was the only online operation featured.
Gillespie and BoDog's Chief Software Architect, Carl Schmidt, were interviewed by Rovell when he visited their offices in late June.
"Mr. Rovell indicated while he was here that he chose to feature BoDog because of our innovation," said Gillespie. "From software development to marketing to unique wager types, we're an industry leader in innovation."
This marks the second time ESPN has covered BoDog. In February 2003 Rovell wrote about the LeBron James Shoe Props.
"Much like we do with our players we take care in fostering relationships with the mainstream media," said Gillespie. "We're grateful for the coverage ESPN has given us."
The issue features Florida Marlins rookie sensation Dontrelle Willis on the cover and on Wednesday the first 2,000 attending the Marlins vs. Diamondbacks were given complimentary copies.
"We've had a number of people who were actually introduced to us via the article," said Gillespie. "We've had a great number of people signing up saying 'I read about you in ESPN the Magazine'".
The August 4th issue of ESPN the Magazine hit newstands late last week. To view the article online CLICK HERE.
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BoDog Sportsbook & Casino is based in San Jose, Costa Rica. Click here to contact the Media Relations Department at BoDog.com
MC,
Is the article available on the web, or only to "ESPN Insiders"?
I have a subscription to ESPN The Magazine, but I don't like it at all, so I throw it in the trash without even looking at it (which is what I did with this issue).
Now I want to see this article (in a mainstream magazine, no less!).
Quoting: "The article was part of a series in the issue entitled "Betting Nation" detailing the sports betting industry and its growing popularity and acceptance."
Hello, politicians? Key word: acceptance!
Nice work NL! Just jokin boss. Not sure about the mag as I don't get it but I found the article online, copy and pasted below for your enjoyment 
PICK 'N CLICK
Ask Rob Gillespie to explain how he does his job, and he'll grab a pen and paper to show you the math. Within minutes, you're staring at a puzzle of plus and minus signs and brain-busting calculus. "Tell me when I've lost you," he says. "I'll slow down."
Gillespie, 34, would make a fine stockbroker. Give him a couple of minutes, and he'd convince Warren Buffett to hand over his portfolio. But you won't find Gillespie at an investment bank or on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The guy owns one suit -- "for marrying and burying," he says -- and one tie. His office is 3,000 miles from Wall Street, on the sixth floor of a brick office building in Vancouver. That's where Gillespie, who studied statistics at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., runs BoDog, one of the world's most profitable online sports books.
Say goodbye to the cigar-puffing bookie of old, operating in the back room of a dry cleaner. Say hello to college-educated math geeks like Gillespie, operating in cyberspace. Their customers will bet $63 billion online this year, over 30 times the $2 billion wagered on sports each year in Nevada.
This new breed of entrepreneur is a businessman first, bookie second. Some may idolize Jimmy the Greek, the original made-for-TV oddsmaker, for the way he set point spreads. But they all definitely admire Mark Cuban for the way he handles customers. Gillespie and his tech guru, Carl Schmidt, 33, have developed software that's made one of the world's famously volatile businesses a relatively predictable science. They've also created business models that defy standard bookmaking practices.
Gillespie's philosophy isn't about booking the most money, but rather making the most money. "The old-school philosophy is never turn down a bet," says Gillespie. "Even if it's $1 million and won't make you any money, you take it. Our mantra is that $1,000 of business you can beat is better than $1 million of business you can't." That's why BoDog takes bets that are no bigger than $5,000 for college football and the NFL and $1,000 for everything else, as compared to the $5,000 to $15,000 limits offered by many of the roughly four dozen online books operating worldwide. Lower limits discourage professional gamblers looking to get down a lot of money, while encouraging casual players who are less likely to know what they're doing.
But there's a spooky Big Brother aspect to the way BoDog is run. While backroom bookies like their customers faceless, known only by middlemen, no one bets anonymously at BoDog. Thanks to Schmidt's tracking software, Gillespie always knows which BoDog customers are betting on what, and for how much. Gamblers must register to use the site. Names of players who regularly win bets in all sports appear on BoDog's office screens in red. Players who are especially good at one sport are highlighted in blue. Customers are also tagged and categorized by how much money they lose per month. The more Gillespie and Schmidt know about bettors, the better they can adjust point spreads, keep action on both teams balanced and, crucially, run a profitable business.
That's why it's important for BoDog to pull back the curtain and put a face -- a smiling face -- on its product. Because it's illegal to operate an online sports book in the U.S., and because 70% of online wagers come from inside this country, offshore betting sites are in a constant battle to assure American bettors that their cash and credit card numbers are safe. Like Cuban, Gillespie reaches out to his customers. He knows where top bettors live, when their birthdays are and what they like to bet. In turn, he wants them to know him. After touring customer-service centers at BMW and Ford Canada, Gillespie learned that, more than anything else, people want someone to call when things go wrong. So the most prominent image on BoDog's homepage isn't a list of point spreads or matchups. It's a picture of Gillespie's round face, with a note that includes his e-mail address and a promise that customers will be paid quickly.
It's all very comforting. And, by the looks of them, Gillespie and Schmidt could just as easily be selling cars or cell phones as wagers. "I can't tell you the name of any NFL quarterback," Schmidt says, "and I'd be hard-pressed to name you five NFL teams."
Jimmy the Greek is rolling over in his grave.
Thanks a lot! Interesting read. I hope more mainstream coverage helps the gambling cause.
I hope so too.
I can't even stress enough how cool of an operation BoDog is. They are hard to beat, don't get me wrong but they run such a tight ship it's amazing. Rob really is a whiz.
With the variety of bets and juicy bonuses for newbies and reloads you are really screwing yourself if you don't have them as one of your outs.
MC
MC,
thanks for cut and paste.
I tried to click what I thought were links you put in there but they were not hperlinked- is it just my machine?
Hey Rocky! No prob, it's a good article.
Anyway, no it isn't you. There are some things in there that are suppose to be linked but my cut and paste didn't pick it up. I think the forum couldn't recognize them for some reason.
MC