Ontario’s iGaming Leadership Will Undergo Big Shakeup
Ontario’s iGaming and online casino leadership will undergo a huge shakeup at the end of the year.
After four years of service, the inaugural chief executive of iGaming Ontario, Martha Otton, has announced she will be retiring from her role on Dec. 31, 2024.
Otton helped usher the province through its iGaming launch in June 2021.
Longtime Province Leader
Prior to joining the iGaming division, Otton served as the Chief Strategy Officer at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and was responsible for the agency’s strategic planning and played a key role in the implementation of the commissions expanded mandate over horse racing and cannabis.
“On behalf of the entire Board, I extend my sincere appreciation for Martha’s leadership of iGaming Ontario. She has left an impressive legacy across her career, and in particular to Ontario’s gaming sector. Ontario’s competitive iGaming market is testament to her visionary leadership and commitment to working with our operators and broader stakeholders,” said Heidi Reinhart, Chair of iGaming Ontario’s Board of Directors, in a press release.
The board of directors will shortly begin a process to identify the next executive director.
iGaming Ontario works alongside the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) and the Government of Ontario to institute iGaming and sports betting in the province.
Ontario iGaming Still Lone Province
Canada made sports betting history in June 2021 when the Senate of Canada approved Bill C-218 by a vote of 57-20 with five abstentions without amendment at third reading. This bill allowed each Canadian province to regulate and legalize single-game sports betting on its own. This is similar to the 2018 process in the United States when the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act prohibiting states from authorizing sports betting.
The Private Member’s bill, sponsored by Saskatoon-Grasswood Conservative MP Kevin Waugh, amended the Canadian Criminal Code to remove language that required sports bets to be placed across multiple events.
Prior to the passage of this bill, parlay bets were the only legal form of sports betting in the country.
Each province was given the authority to develop its own sports betting rules and regulations for single-game events.
Alberta may be the next province to offer iGaming and sports betting, as provincial leaders have passed legislation that could see a launch in early 2025.
Robert Linnehan
Covering regulatory developments in online gambling. Editing/writing/creating a newsletter for readers across all formats.
