Bodog88 acquires Bodog Poker Network
Patrik Selin to step down as network CEO after brokering deal.
Bodog88 has completed the acquisition of the Bodog Poker Network for an undisclosed sum, BodogBrand has announced.
The Manila-based Bodog Brand licensee, which primarily targets the Asian market, is seeking a partner to “bring the network forward” having negotiated the deal with BPN chief executive Patrik Selin.
Selin (pictured) will step down from the position following the sale, and will soon step down from his responsibilities with Bodog Europe and Bodog UK, where he holds the role of chief executive.
“It is obvious that the best fit for the network is a company that understands the power of the brand “ especially in a growth area such as Asia,” explained Selin.
He added that Bodog88 MD Robert Gustafsson “Understands the importance of the recreational poker model which, again, is particularly strong for Asia, where trust is a much more important factor than concepts like rakeback that hold no meaning in the region”.
Among the facets of the recreational model is the concept of anonymous tables, introduced to Bodog88 in March.
Gustafsson said: “What Patrik has done for the Bodog brand, and I would argue poker as a whole, since he started the Bodog Poker Network has been phenomenal … We wish him well for the future.”
The Bodog Poker Network currently comprises three licensees: Bodog88 itself as well as Bodog Europe, Bodog.ca and Morris Mohawk-owned Bovada.lv.
The deal marks the second acquisition of a poker network in recent months, with the Revolution Gaming Network, formed when Lock Poker purchased selected assets of the Cake Network in May, going live this month.