Bodog in the Crosshairs as MBLL Seeks to Ban the Site in Manitoba

Bodog, the sister brand of the controversial online gaming giant Bovada, has found itself in hot water in Canada as the Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries (MBLL) seeks an injunction. The latter body hopes to ban the iGaming operator in the province and prevent it from targeting local players.

Bodog Violated the Manitoba Rules

The MBLL’s action is directed against Bodog’s websites, which include the main bodog.eu domain and its corresponding free-play website bodog.net. The lottery corporation argued that both websites violated the province’s gaming rules and undermined the regulated gaming ecosystem.

The lottery company further argued that by diverting money toward the black market, Bodog effectively deprived the government of money that would have otherwise remained in the state and supported a variety of public programs.

To make matters worse, Bodog allegedly leveraged misleading tactics to trick customers. The website wrongfully presented its products as safe and legal even though it held no license in Canada.

Manitoba, for context, operates under a monopoly model, only allowing MBLL to take bets and offer lottery gaming via the PlayNow.com platform.

The CLC Hopes More Provinces Would Take Action

The injunction was requested on behalf of the Canadian Lottery Coalition (CLC), an advocacy group encompassing gaming companies from several Canadian jurisdictions. This was notably the first time the CLC had taken action against an offshore gaming company.

Will Hill, executive director of the coalition, said that the action against Bodog aims to not only stop the operator from offering unlicensed wagering to players in Manitoba but to also reinforce the CLC’s stance against illegal gaming.  

Hill added that he hopes that a favorable court ruling would spark further action against illegal gambling across Canada.

Bovada Faces Pushback in America

In the meantime, Bodog’s sister website, Bovada, has been having a hard time in the US where multiple states have been taking action against the offshore operator.

Most recently, the Florida regulator sent cease-and-desist letters to Betr, Bovada, and MyBookie, asking the three offshore websites to cease doing business in the state.

In December, Arizona became the next state to go after the prominent online casino, with the Arizona Department of Gaming sending a cease-and-desist letter to the online company. The department went as far as to call Bovada a “criminal enterprise” that facilitates money laundering.

Earlier, the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council issued a fine to Bovada, arguing that its operations violate the local rules. In addition to levying the $50K penalty, the council also issued a cease-and-desist letter to Bovada’s Curaçao address and asked the operator to allow its customers to withdraw their funds before it stops its operation in the state.