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 bodog.eu and bodog.net 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 bodog.eu 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" bodog.net 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.

Harris's injunction against advertising the companies' services includes ads on TV, streaming services and social media, at sporting events and entertainment venues and on other platforms.

Will Hill, executive director of the coalition, declined to comment.