Offshore Operator Bodog Ordered Out of Manitoba

• A judge has ordered offshore gaming operator Bodog to cease operations in Manitoba
• Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries requested an injunction of the offshore gaming site this year
• Court of King’s Bench Judge Jeffrey Harris ordered the injunction earlier this week

Offshore, unregulated gaming operator Bodog will no longer be able to provide its services to the people of Manitoba, despite still illegally operating elsewhere in Canada.

According to a CDC report, Court of King’s Bench Judge Jeffrey Harris ordered an injunction on the Antigua and Barbuda-based companies Il Nido Ltd. and Sanctum IP Holdings Ltd., to cease any and all gaming offerings in Manitoba.

The injunction is permanent and also bans any and all gaming advertisements targeting Manitoba customers.

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Requested Injunction

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries filed the request for an injunction earlier this year. The organization claimed that Bodog and its free-to-play sister site Bodog.net broke the law by offering its services in Manitoba, where Liquor and Lotteries regulates all form of gaming.

The injunction was made on behalf of the Canadian Lottery Coalition, a group representing lottery and gaming corporations in British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. According to the injunction, Bodog claimed it was a legal and licensed gambling site through its advertisements in the province. The advertisements attempted to drive people away from PlayNow.com, the only regulated gaming option in Manitoba.

It now must use geolocation technology to ensure that its services cannot be accessed by any potential customer in the province.

The injunction is the first of its kind and could potentially set legal precedent to be used against other illegally operating gaming companies throughout Canada.

Ontario Only Province With Open, Regulated Market

While Manitoba does allow sports betting, it only has one regulated sports betting operator. The province may look to open the market, like its counterparts Ontario have done.

Ontario is currently the only province in Canada that allows multiple regulated iGaming and sports betting operators. Ontario currently has 49 registered iGaming operators in the province. It taxes iGaming and sports betting at a rate of 20%. It opened the province up to multiple operators in April 2022 and remains the only province to offer legal Canadian sports betting apps.

Alberta recently passed legislation to do the same, though the province will likely not expand its market until the beginning of 2026. You can expect to see Alberta sports betting apps such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM in the near future.

Service Alberta Minister Dave Nally’s Bill 48: the iGaming Alberta Act, was approved on third reading earlier this month. The legislation became legal after receiving Royal Assent from Lieutenant Governor Salma Lakhani.