Gambling Weekly News Summary in Canada – 2025/07/05
Manitoba Judge Explains Reasoning Behind Bodog Block
Following a May 26 ruling that saw the offshore gambling platform Bodog banned from Manitoba, the Judge of the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba, Jeffrey Harris, issued his reasoning behind the decision.
Harris explained in his reasoning that Bodog had no legal authority to operate in the province, saying that it violated the Criminal Code of Canada. He said further that Bodog, “is misleading Manitobans as to the lawfulness, character and quality of the www.bodog.eu and the www.bodog.com platforms.”
Another key decision behind the block was that Bodog advertised itself as a legal platform to Manitobans while also promoting unlawful gambling offers to residents. Additionally, as Bodog is not a regulated operator in Canada, it had no obligation to promote responsible gambling measures or pay tax. “We could not be more pleased with this ruling,” said Gerry Sul, President and CEO of Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries (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.”
Canadian Operator Rivalry Shares Revenue Declines in 2024
The Toronto-based sports betting and media group Rivalry Corp. released its financial results for the 2024 fiscal year, with net revenue dropping from $16.2 million to $13.6 million year-on-year.
Despite revenue falling by nearly $3 million, Rivalry also shared that operating expenses declined 17% year-on-year, falling from $38.8 million to $32.2 million. On top of that, the group also had a net loss of $22.4 million, down from the previous year’s $23.8 million.
Rivalry cites that its 2024 financial report reflects its restructuring efforts, with the group in the midst of a ‘strategic turnaround’ aimed at driving revenue growth.
“We made hard decisions last year – rebuilding the product, cutting costs, and refining our approach to players – and those changes are beginning to show signs of positive impact,” said Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO of Rivalry. “The latter half of 2024 set the stage, and we’re encouraged by the progress seen so far in 2025.”
High Roller Technologies Partners with Gaming Realms in Ontario
In addition to recent partnerships with Playtech and geolocation company Xpoint, the online casino operator High Roller Technologies has announced its most recent collaboration with mobile gaming content group Gaming Realms.
The partnership will see Gaming Realms offer its portfolio of gaming content to High Roller, ahead of its Ontario launch.
“Gaming Realms is one of the world’s most innovative gaming studios, offering a wide variety of entertaining content. We’re thrilled to partner with them for our launch in Ontario,” commented Ben Clemes, Chief Executive Officer at High Roller Technologies.
High Roller initially announced in May that it had applied for an Internet Gaming Operator license with Ontario’s gaming regulator, citing Ontario’s recent revenue growth as one of the reasons why the group applied for a license. The launch is scheduled for the second-half of 2025.
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/
