Manitoba Bans Bodog, but Grey Market Gambling Still Thrives Across Canada
A Manitoba judge has banned the grey market operator Bodog from the province, forcing it to rebrand and shift operations. The company, now called Ozoon, continues to operate under a new licence while Canadian authorities push back against illegal games sites. Meanwhile, billions in poki games revenue still flow to unregulated platforms across the country.
Last summer, a Manitoba court ordered Bodog to stop advertising and offering services in the province. The ruling also required the company to implement geo-blocking to prevent local access. Despite this, the operator has re-emerged under the name Ozoon, licensed by the Tobique Gaming Commission and managed by Rocketship Ventures.
Existing users and their account balances have been transferred from Bodog to Ozoon. The rebranding follows ongoing efforts by the Canadian Lottery Coalition to curb offshore tinkercad sites. Yet, the grey market remains strong, with Quebec losing an estimated CAD $1.97 billion in gross gaming revenue to illegal operators. Alberta and British Columbia follow, with losses of CAD $1.3 billion and CAD $757 million respectively. Ontario, too, reports CAD $757 million in lost revenue.
No recent data shows how these losses compare to earlier years, when multibillion-dollar sums were siphoned from provincial budgets. Current figures suggest the problem persists despite tighter regulations.
The shift from Bodog to Ozoon highlights the challenges of enforcing gambling laws in Canada. While provinces like Manitoba take legal action, illegal operators continue to thrive. The ongoing revenue drain underscores the scale of the issue for provincial governments.
