Manitoba Court Wants Bodog Out of Canadian Province

Manitoba has become the latest Canadian province to take issue with the operations of offshore iGaming and sports betting operator Bodog.

Previously, the Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries (MBLL) filed an injunction with the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench, representing the Canadian Lottery Coalition (CLC), requesting that II Nido Ltd, the operator of Bodog, and Sanctum IP Holdings Ltd, which owns the Canadian trademarks, exit the market.

Court Decision Settles the Matter for Bodog in Manitoba

This happened in February. As of Monday, May 26, the court has sided with the plaintiffs, ordering Bodog to cease operations in the province and exit it entirely. A court decision confirmed that Bodog had no legal right to offer its products locally and had to therefore comply with and exit the market.

The court specified that Bodog could not use any of its alternative domain names to target the local market, whether this was bodog.eu, bodog.net, nor to advertise its offer. Any companies that may be working with Bodog and advertise the brand locally must also cease to do so.

Manitoba is hardly the only province to have gone on the offensive against the offshore gaming market. Earlier this month, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) released a similar decision in which it cautioned media platforms to stop advertising prohibited gambling platforms such as Bodog.

Change of Tact – Offshore Operators Must Leave

The latest developments in both Manitoba and Ontario mark a rupture with the old way of doing things, where Canadian provinces preferred to stand idly by and let offshore operators run their course.

However, the legalization and further expansion of gambling across the nation have highlighted the need to address this outstanding issue and limit any remaining clout that offshore companies may still have locally.