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THE CANADIAN GAMING ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES ELECTION OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS

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THE CANADIAN GAMING ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES ELECTION OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS

 

The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) announced the appointment of five new members of the Association’s Board of Directors, which took place during the CGA’s Annual General Meeting on December 7, 2022.
Bruce Caughill
Bruce Caughill is Managing Director (Canada) for Rush Street Interactive, a trusted online gaming and sports entertainment company through its BetRivers.com brand. Prior to this role, Mr. Caughill served as Chief Legal Officer with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and before that was the VP Legal and Chief Compliance Officer with the Niagara Casinos, Canada’s largest commercial casino operation. Bruce brings almost 25 years of executive experience in the Canadian gaming industry.
Mark Harper
Mark Harper has been the GM at NS Sports for 5 years and is a 25+ year digital media veteran, with experience in local news, sports and entertainment and digital media agency work in Nova Scotia, with experience in digital sales, ad operations and digital marketing. At NS Sports Media, he helps to fuel thriving sports betting communities through the leading brands of Covers.com, SportsBookReview.com and ProSportsDaily.com. These brands collectively reach 25M+ consumers and focus on the North American sports betting markets.
Charmaine Hogan
Charmaine Hogan, Head of Regulatory Affairs at Playtech, has several years of experience in the gambling industry. Previously having worked on EU legislation and policy development in Brussels, both on behalf of the government and at the European Commission, she led discussions with the European gambling regulators. Now focusing on emerging and regulating markets, her regulatory experienced is shared in engaging with policy-makers and stakeholders and providing regulatory development advice to the business at Playtech.
Dale Hooper
Dale Hooper is the General Manager of FanDuel Canada. A dynamic leader driven by passion, creativity, and a relentless determination to win, his ambition, love for sports, and 20+ years of leadership experience have allowed him to lead FanDuel’s expansion into Canada with major success, building a team and unparalleled partnerships in a new market. He is responsible for all aspects of the Canadian business including strategy, operations, marketing and commercial realtionships. Prior to joining FanDuel, his career has spanned leadership and C-Suite roles with Rogers Communications, PepsiCo Canada, and CCI (Cannabis Compliance Inc), driving growth and innovation across industries. Dale has previously served on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Paralympic Committee, St Joseph’s Hospital Foundation and Canadian Sports Institute Ontario.
Niaz Nejad
Niaz Nejad is Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing for U.S. and Canada at Aristocrat Gaming. She leads the overall brand and marketing strategy, execution, and business performance, responsible for infusing innovation and creativity throughout. Prior to Aristocrat, Niaz was the Chief Operating Officer for the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission, establishing the company’s provincial gaming and cannabis strategic direction, corporate portfolio, digital transformation, and revenue forecasts. She was accountable for sustaining over $1.4 billion in annual-net revenues from slot machines, video lottery terminals, electronic bingo, and lottery tickets through policy and gaming product development, and marketing. With over 25 years of leadership experience across high-performance industries including IT, retail, banking, cannabis, and gambling, Niaz has a proven track record of success for driving double-digit growth and delivering on behalf of the business for customers.
Scott Vanderwel
Scott Vanderwel has led PointsBet Canada as CEO since August 2021, spearheading the company’s steadfast commitment to bring Canadian sports fans a legal, safe, and reliable sportsbook with best-in-class customer experience.  Prior to PointsBet, Vanderwel served as Senior Vice President for Rogers Communications, where he oversaw corporate strategy, operational improvement, and digital operations, and prior to that, led the Canadian practice for a global business strategy consultancy called Monitor Group, which was later acquired by Deloitte.  A graduate of the HBA Program at the Ivey Business School at Western University, Vanderwel is the former chair of the Ivey Alumni Network Board and a current member of the Ivey Advisory Network Board. Outside of work, his passions include cycling, running, and especially skiing.
“Given this unprecendted time of growth in the Canadian gaming industry, the CGA Board of Directors has been amplified by five new members,” said Ilkim Hincer, Chair of the Board. “Increased representation is important to ensure that the work of the board reflects the diverse needs of Canadian gaming. I look forward to continued collaboration with the board as we work together to shape a progressive environment that enables this industry to succeed.”
“We welcome to Charmaine, Bruce, Niaz, Mark, Dale, and Scott to the CGA board and believe their experience will help the Association launch its new strategic plan to guide our growth and development over the next several years,” said Paul Burns, President and CEO of the CGA. ” Their subject matter expertise and professional skill set make them ideally suited to lead the CGA at this exceptional time, as we are evolving our way of working to meet the needs and be of service to our members, while driving our mission forward.”
Several board members are leaving due to term limits expiring. The CGA would like to thank David Flinn, Bob Parente, and George Sweny for their contributions to the Association and the Canadian gaming industry overall.  We are pleased that both George and Bob have agreed to continue to serve the CGA Board in different capacities moving forward.
The Full 2022/2023 CGA Board of Directors
  • Scott Burton, CEO, FansUnite Entertainment Inc.
  • Danielle Bush, Counsel, McCarthy Tetrault, LLP
  • Bruce Caughill, Managing Director (Canada) Rush Street Interactive
  • Dean Ehrlich, Executive Vice President & Games Business Leader, Everi
  • Neil Erlick, Chief Corporate Development Officer, Nuvei
  • Jeffrey Haas, Chief Revenue Officer, AtomicHub io
  • Mark Harper, General Manager, NS Sports Media
  • Ilkim Hincer, EVP & Chief Legal Officer, Hard Rock International
  • Charmaine Hogan, Head of Regulatory Affairs, Playtech
  • Dale Hooper, General Manager, FanDuel Canada
  • Chuck Keeling, EVP, Stakeholder Relations & Responsible Gaming, Great Canadian Entertainment
  • Carrie Kormos, Chief Marketing & Communication Officer, Gateway Casinos & Entertainment
  • Adriane McGrath, Vice President, Business Development, Konami Gaming Inc.
  • Niaz Nejad, SVP and Head of Marketing, US and Canada, Aristocrat Gaming
  • Rob Scarpelli, Managing Director, HLT Advisory Inc.
  • Richard Taylor, President, Niagara Casinos
  • Scott Vanderwell, CEO, PointsBet Canada
  • Shelley White, President & CEO, Responsible Gambling Council

Canada

High Roller and Playtech Announce Strategic Partnership

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High Roller and Playtech Announce Strategic Partnership

 

High Roller Technologies and Playtech announced a strategic partnership for Ontario, Canada, that will see Playtech provide its industry-leading technology to power High Roller’s platform and premium brand, ensuring a seamless, high-quality experience for players in the region.

Ben Clemes, Chief Executive Officer at High Roller, said: “Collaborating with Playtech in Ontario is an exciting step for High Roller as we continue to grow and evolve. Playtech’s well-established technology will be instrumental to our mission of providing a world-class entertainment experience for our players.”

Sergey Harutyunyan, Chief Revenue Officer at Playtech, said: “We are delighted to partner with High Roller as they expand into Ontario. Playtech’s technology is designed to support operators in regulated markets, and we look forward to working together to provide High Roller’s players with safe, innovative, and engaging gaming experiences.”

Ontario represents a key market for both companies, featuring a robust regulatory framework and fast-growing player base. Recently, High Roller announced the submission of its Internet Gaming Operator license application for Ontario, and subject to licensing and regulatory approval, High Roller anticipates launching live operations in H2 2025.

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Canada

OLG Advances Inclusion with First-of-its-kind Accessible iCasino Game

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OLG Advances Inclusion with First-of-its-kind Accessible iCasino Game

 

Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is supporting accessibility in the iGaming industry with the launch of Red Panda Tails of Wealth – the first digital slot game designed with built-in accessible features to support players with disabilities.

In the popular digital casino landscape, people with disabilities often face barriers to participation. Instead of waiting for change, OLG is driving it by introducing the industry’s first inclusive gaming experience that provides the same fun and excitement to all players.

“We are excited to launch Red Panda Tails of Wealth on olg.ca, which is the result of a focused effort to put accessibility at the forefront of game design. The game is a proof of concept that shows how removing barriers to play can move us towards a more inclusive future in the gaming industry,” said Dave Pridmore, OLG’s Chief Gaming Officer.

With nearly one-third (28%; StatCan 2022) of Ontarians reporting a disability, the launch of Red Panda Tails of Wealth breaks barriers and provides more equitable access to play for an often-overlooked audience.

While Red Panda Tails of Wealth mirrors the appearance and gameplay of other iCasino slot games in market, it is built with universal design principles to deliver a fun, inclusive and user-friendly experience for all players.

Key accessibility features include:

• Compatibility with assistive technologies like screen readers and keyboard navigation

• A high-contrast colour palette for enhanced visibility

• An accessible heads-up display engineered to integrate seamlessly into future games.

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To develop this first-of-its-kind game, OLG collaborated with Pixiu Gaming and Light & Wonder Spark. To ensure the game was accessible and inclusive OLG partnered with Fable – a Toronto-based company that connects organizations with people with disabilities for digital accessibility insights.

The insights from people with disabilities collected via remote user testing sessions played a key role in helping OLG create a game that meets real-world accessibility needs.

“Our mission at Fable is to empower people with disabilities to participate, contribute, and shape society – and this is how true accessibility is achieved. We’re thrilled to partner with OLG, who recognize the importance of embedding the voices and experiences of people with disabilities throughout the development of their new game,” said Kate Kalcevich, Head of Innovation at Fable.

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Canada

High Roller Submits Gaming License Application in Ontario

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High Roller Submits Gaming License Application in Ontario

 

High Roller Technologies, operator of the premium online casino brands High Roller and Fruta, announced the submission of its Internet Gaming Operator license application in Ontario, Canada, targeting the launch of its flagship brand HighRoller.com in the second half of 2025.

“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,” said Ben Clemes, Chief Executive Officer at High Roller.

Ontario is one of the largest regulated online gambling markets in the world as measured by gross gaming revenue. In 2024, regulated online gambling operators within the province generated approximately $2.3B in gross gaming revenue, and growth continues to be recorded in the first half of 2025. Recently, the province of Alberta passed enabling legislation to establish a regulatory framework for online gambling. Once available, the Company also intends to pursue licensure in Alberta to expand its regulated market footprint in Canada.

“Ontario is missing an elegant brand like High Roller. We’re excited to roll out the red carpet for our new customers, and we’re looking forward to showcasing our tremendous product,” said Clemes.

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