Latest news with #Bodog
CTV News
04-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Judge bans offshore gambling site Bodog from operating in Manitoba
The Manitoba Law Courts building in Winnipeg on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods) A Manitoba judge has banned an offshore gambling site from operating in the province. In a court order from May 26, Court of King's Bench Judge Jeffrey Harris ruled that the companies running and any other related successor or replacement websites—must stop operating gambling products and services that are accessible to people in Manitoba. The Antigua and Barbuda-based company Il Nido Ltd. and Sanctum IP Holdings Ltd. must implement geo-blocking technology to prevent Manitobans from engaging with the gambling products as part of a permanent injunction. The companies are also ordered to stop all advertising that is targeting or accessible to people in the province. Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries (MBLL) previously sought an injunction earlier this year on behalf of the Canadian Lottery Coalition to stop the companies from operating or advertising Bodog within the province. According to the order, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation (MBLL) is 'vested with the exclusive authority to conduct, manage and offer lotteries in Manitoba, including online gambling products.' Bodog has no statutory exception, per the court filing. The Criminal Code of Canada prohibits all betting, gaming and lottery activities in the country, with an exception for provinces conducting gaming operations or licenced organizations. The court filing also said Bodog is not regulated by any Canadian authority or subject to scrutiny. As a result, it has no requirement to implement responsible gambling features, pay taxes or comply with anti-money laundering requirements in the country. The gambling site, which allows players to bet on sporting events and casino games, advertises itself as a 'legal online casino in Canada' and as 'one of the safest places to gamble online within the realms of the country,' per the ruling. The order adds that 'Bodog's false representations regarding its legality, legitimacy, trustworthiness and safety are violations of the Competition Act and the Trademarks Act.' Incalculable harm to Manitobans: MBLL CEO 'We could not be more pleased with this ruling,' said MBLL CEO Gerry Sul in a Canadian Lottery Coalition news release. 'Bodog's conduct has not only been unlawful, the harm their illegal operations have caused to MBLL—and Manitobans—is incalculable," he said. According to MBLL's website, every dollar earned in profit is reinvested into the province to fund government programs, such as health care, education, social services and housing. For the fiscal year ending in 2024, MBLL returned nearly $380 million from its casino, lottery, online gambling and video lottery offerings, according to the ruling. The previous year's return is reported at over $390 million. The ruling said because Bodog's operations are located offshore and outside the reach of Canadian authorities, it is 'highly unlikely that MBLL would be successful in any effort to enforce the significant monetary judgment against them.'
Cision Canada
03-07-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
BODOG BLOCKED FROM OPERATING IN MANITOBA Français
WINNIPEG, MB, July 3, 2025 /CNW/ - Following his ruling of May 26, 2025, which ordered an immediate and permanent ban on the illegal gambling site Bodog in Manitoba, The Honourable Jeffrey Harris, Judge of the Court of King's Bench of Manitoba issued the written reasons for his decision late last week. In his reasons, Justice Harris held that Bodog has no legal authority to operate in Manitoba and that its solicitation and acceptance of bets in Manitoba violates the Criminal Code of Canada. Justice Harris further held that Bodog "is misleading Manitobans as to the lawfulness, character and quality of the and the platforms." He accepted evidence that Bodog advertises and promotes its unlawful gambling offerings to Manitobans through a variety of false and misleading statements, and that Bodog markets itself to Manitobans as a legal, safe online casino when in fact its operations in Manitoba are illegal. Further, Justice Harris accepted evidence that because no Canadian or provincial government regulates or controls Bodog's activities, Bodog has no obligation in this country to implement responsible gambling features, pay taxes, or comply with anti-money laundering requirements. The Court's reasons resolve an application brought earlier this year by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries (MBLL), on behalf of the Canadian Lottery Coalition, for an injunction to stop Il Nido Ltd. and Sanctum IP Holdings Ltd., two entities that operate or are associated with the Bodog gambling site, from operating or advertising Bodog within Manitoba. In his May 26 order enjoining Il Nido Ltd. and Sanctum IP Holdings Ltd., Justice Harris declared that Bodog has "no lawful authority to offer online gambling products and services, whether through or any other related successor or replacement websites, or to advertise such online products and services to persons located in Manitoba, as such activities are contrary to sections 201, 202, and 206 of the Criminal Code". "We could not be more pleased with this ruling," said Gerry Sul, President and CEO, MBLL. "With this decision, Justice Harris has unequivocally confirmed that Bodog's operations within Manitoba are prohibited by the Criminal Code, Competition Act, and the Trademarks Act, and that MBLL has the sole legal authority to provide gambling offerings within the province. Bodog's conduct has not only been unlawful, the harm their illegal operations have caused to MBLL – and Manitobans – is incalculable." Since the introduction of single-event sports betting in 2021, Canadians have seen a rapid increase in the frequency of online gaming sites and advertisements from illegal operators. The Criminal Code of Canada gives provinces the exclusive right to conduct and manage gaming, including online gaming, within their respective jurisdictions. In Manitoba, MBLL is the designated authority and PlayNow is the only legal online gambling site authorized to operate in the province. "The continued advertising and promotion of illegal gambling sites gives Canadians the false impression that they are operating legally, which is not the case," said Pat Davis, President and CEO, British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC). "Not only are many of these sites operating in offshore markets that leave no protection or recourse for the player, but they also divert revenues that would otherwise be returned to provincial governments and directed to much-needed programs and services." As per the May 26 injunction issued by the Court, Il Nido Ltd. and Sanctum IP Holdings Ltd., are required to implement geo-blocking technology on their site to prevent anyone located in Manitoba from accessing, viewing, purchasing, or otherwise engaging with any of their online gambling products or services. The Canadian Lottery Coalition, comprised of MBLL, Atlantic Lottery Corporation, BCLC, Loto-Québec, and Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan, remains committed to creating a safer online gaming environment for all Canadians.
CBC
28-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Judge orders offshore gambling site Bodog to cease operations in Manitoba
A Manitoba judge has barred an offshore gambling site from operating in the province. The companies running and must cease operating the sister sites as well as any successors or replacements in a manner that's accessible to people in Manitoba, Court of King's Bench Judge Jeffrey Harris ruled in a court order signed Monday. Antigua and Barbuda-based companies Il Nido Ltd. and Sanctum IP Holdings Ltd. must implement geo-blocking technology so no one in the province can access or otherwise engage with any gambling products they offer, Harris ordered. The permanent injunction also orders the companies to cease any and all kinds of advertising, whether paid or unpaid, targeted at Manitobans. "The respondents' advertising … as a legitimate, lawful, 'safe,' or 'trusted' online gambling site, constitutes a false description of the respondents' goods and services that is likely to mislead the public," the ruling said. Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries filed a request for the injunction earlier this year on behalf of the Canadian Lottery Coalition, an advocacy group made up of the provincial gaming corporations in B.C., Saskatchewan, Quebec and Manitoba. The coalition said it hoped the case would set a precedent its jurisdictions could use in their fight against illegal gambling sites, which it said diverted revenue away from legitimate operations — and provincial coffers. The application argued that Bodog, which allowed players to place monetary bets on sporting events and casino games on the site, promoted itself to Manitobans as a legitimate service, even though Liquor & Lotteries has sole authority over gambling in the province. It argued the companies used the "free play site" to advertise their monetary gambling services on the .eu site. The site said it accepted players all across Canada except for those in Quebec and Nova Scotia.
Winnipeg Free Press
28-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Bodog's bet on province a losing one: court
A judge has barred Bodog, an offshore online casino, from operating in Manitoba, after the Crown corporation responsible for gambling argued the illicit site had siphoned off a significant amount of its revenue. Bodog and its operators, which are registered in Antigua and Barbuda, break the law by offering unauthorized online gambling in the province, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries argued in a notice of application filed in the Manitoba Court of King's Bench earlier this year. Justice Jeffrey Harris agreed with the Crown corporation in an order issued Monday that prevents Il Nido Ltd. and Sanctum IP Holdings Ltd. from allowing anyone in Manitoba to access their gambling services. 'This court orders and declares that the respondents have no lawful authority to offer online gambling products and services… or to advertise such online products and serves to persons located in Manitoba,' said Harris. He said the operator's activities constitute criminal offences related to gambling. The permanent injunction orders the companies and any affiliates or successors to cease operations in Manitoba and to implement geo-blocking technology on their website to prevent users from accessing it in Manitoba. The Crown corporation said advertising by the companies — which claimed websites and were lawful, 'safe' and 'trusted' in Manitoba — was false and misleading. Harris ordered the companies to cease advertising that is targeted or accessible to Manitobans on any form of physical, digital or online media. Harris, who is expected to write further reasons for his decision in the coming weeks, awarded court costs to the Crown corporation. Il Nido Ltd. and Sanctum IP Holdings failed to respond to the application in court, despite being served notice, the judge's order said. Earlier this year, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries said it filed the application on behalf of the Canadian Lottery Coalition, which represents Crown gaming authorities in Manitoba, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. The coalition formed in 2022 to combat illegal online gambling in Canada. Federal law allows gambling only when managed and licensed by provincial governments. Liquor and Lotteries has sole authority over legal gaming in Manitoba, including on its regulated online platform, The Crown corporation has said in court filings it believes 'significant revenue' was diverted to Bodog. Coalition executive director William Hill said earlier this year that research conducted by gaming consultant H2 Gambling Capital estimated illegal online gaming costs Canadian public gaming corporations about $2 billion in revenue annually. Hill said Tuesday he could not comment further on the court order until the judge's full reasons for his decision are made public. Liquor and Lotteries said in its filing that online gambling has grown, in part because amendments to the Criminal Code in 2021 permitted single-event sports betting — gambling on a single game rather than multiple games — and the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the closing of casinos and boosted gambling on the web. That led the corporation to develop new rules and regulations on online gaming, including measures to prevent money laundering, the filing said. As a regulated site, protects gamblers from harms — unlike illicit sites — and puts money toward provincially funded programs such as health and education, MLL argued. It had sent cease-and-desist letters to Bodog, but the operator would not obey them. Erik PinderaReporter Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik. Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Ottawa Citizen
14-05-2025
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
AGCO calls on media platforms to step up the fight against unregulated online gambling sites
Article content TORONTO, May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has contacted more than a dozen traditional and digital media platforms, calling on them to stop promoting unregulated online gambling and sports betting sites like Bodog to Ontario residents. Article content Article content Operated by Il Nido Inc., Bodog is an offshore operator actively targeting Ontarians by advertising on popular traditional and digital media platforms. Despite blocking players in Quebec and Nova Scotia from accessing their unregulated gambling and sports betting sites, Bodog continues to allow Ontarians to access these sites while advertising heavily on traditional and digital media platforms targeting Ontarians. Article content Article content Under the Gaming Control Act, 1992, Bodog and other online gambling sites are required to register with the AGCO and sign an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario in order to operate in Ontario. Ontario's regulated igaming framework requires operators to meet comprehensive requirements related to game integrity, player protection, anti-money laundering and information privacy. Bodog's efforts to direct Ontarians to unregulated gambling undermine player protection and other safeguards which exist in the regulated market, as well as fair market principles. Article content By airing ads for Bodog and other unregulated operators, legitimate media platforms are providing a veneer of legitimacy to unregulated and high-risk sites and creating confusion for Ontarians. The AGCO is therefore calling on these platforms to take a stand against the promotion of unregulated online gambling sites and remove the ads. By doing so, broadcasters and digital media companies will help reduce the risks these sites pose to Ontarians and support the long-term sustainability of Ontario's regulated igaming market – all key objectives of the AGCO. Article content Article content The AGCO will continue to work with its partners – both in Ontario and internationally – to combat these unregulated sites and protect the public. Article content Quote Article content 'The AGCO is committed to protecting Ontario players and ensuring they have the safest experience by playing on regulated igaming sites. By refusing to carry advertising from unregulated and high-risk operators like Bodog, media organizations can exemplify social responsibility and play an important role in protecting Ontarians and supporting Ontario's regulated market.' Article content Media Contact
