Judge orders offshore gambling site Bodog to cease operations in Manitoba

Arturo Chang · CBC News

· Posted: May 28, 2025 1:19 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

A Manitoba justice has barred an offshore gambling tract from operating successful the province.

The companies moving bodog.eu and bodog.net must cease operating the sister sites arsenic good arsenic immoderate successors oregon replacements successful a mode that's accessible to radical successful Manitoba, Court of King's Bench Judge Jeffrey Harris ruled successful a tribunal bid signed Monday.

Antigua and Barbuda-based companies Il Nido Ltd. and Sanctum IP Holdings Ltd. indispensable instrumentality geo-blocking exertion truthful nary 1 successful the state tin entree oregon different prosecute with immoderate gambling products they offer, Harris ordered.

The imperishable injunction besides orders the companies to cease any and each kinds of advertising, whether paid oregon unpaid, targeted astatine Manitobans.

"The respondents' advertising … arsenic a legitimate, lawful, 'safe,' oregon 'trusted' online gambling site, constitutes a mendacious statement of the respondents' goods and services that is apt to mislead the public," the ruling said.

Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries filed a petition for the injunction earlier this twelvemonth connected behalf of the Canadian Lottery Coalition, an advocacy radical made up of the provincial gaming corporations successful B.C., Saskatchewan, Quebec and Manitoba.

The conjugation said it hoped the lawsuit would acceptable a precedent its jurisdictions could usage successful their combat against amerciable gambling sites, which it said diverted gross distant from morganatic operations — and provincial coffers.

The exertion argued that Bodog, which allowed players to spot monetary bets connected sporting events and casino games connected the bodog.eu site, promoted itself to Manitobans arsenic a morganatic service, adjacent though Liquor & Lotteries has sole authorization implicit gambling successful the province.

It argued the companies utilized the "free play site" bodog.net to advertise their monetary gambling services connected the .eu site. The tract said it accepted players each crossed Canada but for those successful Quebec and Nova Scotia.

Harris's injunction against advertizing the companies' services includes ads connected TV, streaming services and societal media, astatine sporting events and amusement venues and connected different platforms.

Will Hill, enforcement manager of the coalition, declined to comment.