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=== 1997-2000: Cyberoad ===
Established in 1997, [[Cyberoad ]] was a software company specializing in providing online betting systems. In 1998 their technology was used to launch numerous early internet sportsbooks including MayanSports.com[[Mayan Sports]], TheBigBook.com[[The Big Book]], GrandPrixSports.com[[Grand Prix Sports]], and TheSportsMachine.com[[The Sports Machine]]. These betting sites offered were unique in offering credit card deposits and e-check withdrawals through the use of the [[eBanx ]] payment processor. This allowed these sportsbooks to stand out as most of the industry were still relying on Western Union and cash payments.On November 29, 1999 Cyberoad completed the purchase of eBanx.<ref>[https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/Cyberoad_Completes_Ebanx_Acquisition "Cyberoad Completes Ebanx Acquisition"], ''bnamericas'', Costa Rica, November 29, 1999. Retrieved on 2019-09-17</ref> After raising money to go public Cyberoad shut down in 2000.
=== 2000-2001: El Moro and eSportz ===
[[El Moro Finances ]] acquired Cyberoad's assets on July 20, 2000.<ref> [https://www.lawinsider.com/contracts/3LgJ8B4fXaSvtQW595FMzb/cyberoad-com-corp/agreement/2000-07-20 "TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP"], ''Law Insider'', June 20th, 2000. Retrieved on 2019-09-17</ref> These were allocated to [[eSportz]], a subsidiary of El Moro Finances. TheBigBook.com [[The Big Book]] purchased GrandPrixSports.com [[Grand Prix Sports]] and continued operating reached an agreement to continue using the same betting software (now being distributed by eSportz). Other betting sites previously working with Cyberoad [[Mayan Sports]] were left offline after failing to reach a similar deal. During this time eSportz created their own betting site [[Bodog]], which was set to operate out of service, including MayanSportsthe same offices as The Big Book.comCustomers of Mayan Sports received e-mails stating that their account information had been transferred over to Bodog.
Both Bodog and The Big Book were using Kazootek Technologies as an accounting firm, who also managed the eBanx payment system. On June 15th, 2001 two employees of Kazootek Viktoria Zazuolina and Tatiana Kostiouk began embezzling money from company clients. They recruited Greg Tanner, a new employee, to assist them in starting a new company using technology and money stolen from Kazootek and their clients. The Big Book had agreed to use their services, and allegedly began planning to steal source code from eSPortz betting software. After an investigation began in 2003, Viktoria Zazuolina resigned from Kazootek. Bodog announced the termination of it's partnership with The Big Book, and decided to become the sole betting site using eSportz software.