Gambling Weekly News Summary in Canada – 2025/05/31
Manitoba Judge Orders Bodog to Cease Operations in Province
The offshore gambling platform Bodog.eu has been barred from operating in Manitoba after Court of King’s Bench Judge Jeffrey Harris signed a court order on Monday.
The permanent injunction comes after Crown Corporation, Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, filed for an injunction in February 2025 on behalf of the Canadian Lottery Coalition. Bodog was found to have been providing sporting events and casino games on its bodog.eu site by advertising itself in Manitoba as a legitimate service.
The Canadian Coalition, made up of gaming corporations in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Quebec, and Manitoba, argued that illegal gambling sites like Bodog purposely diverted revenue from legitimate operators.
As part of the court order, Bodog’s parent companies, Il Nido Ltd. and Sanctum IP Holdings, located in Antigua and Barbuda, must implement a geo-blocking service to stop Manitoba residents from accessing Bodog or any other gambling sites they operate.
High Roller Submits Ontario Gaming License
The Nevada-based casino operator High Roller Technologies has announced that it has applied for an Ontario internet gaming operator license for its online casino platform.
High Roller, which operates casino platforms Fruta and High Roller, aims to launch its HighRoller.com platform in Ontario in the latter half of 2025 following regulatory approval.
“The submission of our licensing application to access Ontario’s regulated online gambling market is an important milestone in our Company’s journey. Once our application is approved, we anticipate that we will have the opportunity to launch our online casino product into the market later this year,” commented Ben Clemes, CEO at High Roller.
Ontario’s iGaming market launched in 2022 and boasted $2.4 billion in revenue during its first year of operation. Since then, iGaming Ontario has reported that Ontario’s market has matured even more, boasting $3.2 billion in revenue in its third year.
High Roller also expressed interest in launching its casino brand in Alberta’s upcoming iGaming market. Alberta lawmakers recently passed Bill 48, allowing for the creation of a regulated online gaming market expected to launch in 2026.
AGCO Suspends Trainer for Performance-Enhancing Drugs
Ontario’s gambling regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), has issued a ten-year suspension to Standardbred trainer Jeffery Gillis after an investigation found possession of performance-enhancing drugs.
In addition to the suspension, Gillis was fined $40,000 for violating AGCO’s anti-doping rules.
AGCO’s investigation of Gillis stemmed from a larger international investigation led by the FBI, which revealed that 27 horse racing trainers, veterinarians, and others were charged in the US for the shipment and administration of drugs to racehorses.
As part of AGCO’s Rules of Racing, any individual who possesses or attempts to possess a performance-enhancing drug will be banned.
“The AGCO will not tolerate doping in Ontario’s horse racing industry. This case underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of the sport and the welfare of horses. Any attempt to cheat the system and use performance-enhancing drugs is a serious breach of trust and the AGCO will hold offenders accountable,” said Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and CEO of AGCO.
Ziv (Steve) Chen
CEO at Major League Content
Ziv has been working in the iGaming industry for more than two decades, serving in senior roles in software developers like Playtech and Microgaming. He then followed his lifelong passion of writing and became a fulltime journalist, covering casinos, sports betting, legislation and other gambling topics and news with a specialty in North America.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ziv-steve-chen-94b01b5/
