GME3: Barking Up the Wrong Province, Trump Media HODLs the Line & CanCon Cuts?

In this week’s edition of the GME3, we have an update on the Manitoba court case against Bodog, a new investment tactic being explored by President Donald Trump’s social media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, and pressure on Canada’s broadcast regulator, the CRTC, to uphold and strengthen rules defining what qualifies as Canadian content in television and streaming as international corporations lobby to loosen restrictions. Read the full stories below!

Gambling

Barking Up the Wrong Province

A Manitoba court has granted a permanent injunction against offshore gambling operator Bodog, barring it from offering or advertising online gambling services to residents of Manitoba. The decision follows a legal application filed in January 2025 by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries (MBLL), acting on behalf of the Canadian Lottery Coalition (CLC), which includes several provincial lottery agencies. The court found that Bodog’s platforms—bodog.eu and bodog.net—violate federal Criminal Code provisions and mislead consumers in breach of the Competition Act and Trademarks Act.

The injunction requires Bodog, its affiliates, and employees to stop operating or advertising to Manitobans via any media, and mandates geo-blocking of the province on its gambling site. The court’s written reasoning is forthcoming, but no representatives from Bodog’s parent company, Il Nido Ltd., or Canadian trademark owner, Sanctum IP Holdings Ltd., appeared in court, despite being served in March.

While the ruling applies only to Manitoba, the CLC emphasized that it reflects broader efforts to combat illegal online gambling nationwide. Bodog, based in Antigua and Barbuda, has already ceased operations in Québec and Nova Scotia, and faces growing pressure in Ontario. Recently, Ontario’s regulator, the AGCO, publicly named Bodog and urged media outlets to stop carrying its ads, criticizing the brand for presenting a false sense of legitimacy without holding a provincial license.

If you want to learn more about the background of this case, check out Jack’s article on the topic HERE.

Media

Trump Media HODLs the Line

Donald Trump’s social media company, Trump Media & Technology Group – parent of Truth Social – is making a major move into cryptocurrency by creating a bitcoin treasury. The company announced on Tuesday that it has secured $2.5 billion in funding from around 50 large investors through stock and debt deals. The funds will be used to purchase bitcoin and further integrate crypto into the company’s business model.’

CEO Devin Nunes described the move as a way to protect the company from what he called “harassment and discrimination by financial institutions” and positioned bitcoin as a tool for financial freedom. He also suggested the bitcoin investment will support future plans involving subscription payments, utility tokens, and transactions across Truth Social and Trump’s streaming platform, Truth+.

This marks a broader trend of Trump-affiliated ventures leaning heavily into crypto. Trump Media has joined a growing ecosystem that includes World Liberty Financial (a crypto venture backed by the Trump family), American Bitcoin (co-founded by Eric Trump), and Trump’s own memecoin, $TRUMP. The involvement of the former president and his family in the sector has raised ethical concerns, especially given the influence his administration wields over financial regulation.

Despite the company’s lack of profitability – it currently relies mainly on ad revenue – Trump Media’s announcement spiked its stock early Tuesday before it dropped more than 5% by mid-morning. Trump recently transferred his ownership stake to a trust controlled by Donald Trump Jr., who also sits on the board.

Entertainment

CanCon Cuts?

The CBC is urging Canada’s broadcast regulator, the CRTC, to uphold and strengthen rules defining what qualifies as Canadian content in television and streaming, particularly in the face of lobbying by foreign platforms like Netflix and Amazon for looser regulations. At a recent CRTC hearing, CBC executives argued that true Canadian productions must be both creatively and financially led by Canadians, calling for at least 60% of key roles – including director, writer, showrunner, and lead actors – to be filled by Canadians.

Currently, a production can qualify as Canadian with only one Canadian required as director or writer, and one as a lead actor. The CBC says this bar is too low and risks diluting Canadian control over storytelling and economic benefits.

Executives cited the series North of North, co-produced with Netflix and APTN, as proof that Canadian-led projects can attract major partners without compromising on ownership or creative leadership. They rejected suggestions that relaxing IP rules would lead to more such collaborations, emphasizing that foreign platforms already benefit from tax incentives and funding while avoiding early development risks.

The Motion Picture Association of Canada, representing global streamers, argued last week for a more flexible definition of Canadian content. But the CBC pushed back firmly, saying now is the time to invest in Canadian talent and retain control, not outsource it. CBC leaders said the country’s creative industry is fully capable of producing world-class content independently, and warned against eroding Canadian cultural sovereignty in pursuit of foreign partnerships.