The Fire Joker has returned, his blazing grin wider than ever. Hes back in control of the reels, where classic fruits and symbols light up under his fiery touch. But this time, theres more than just mischief in the air. The heat has intensified, the stakes are higher, and this scorching slot is cranked up to a full 100.
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The Fire Joker has returned, his blazing grin wider than ever. Hes back in control of the reels, where classic fruits and symbols light up under his fiery touch. But this time, theres more than just mischief in the air. The heat has intensified, the stakes are higher, and this scorching slot is cranked up to a full 100.

Canada

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

absolutebet Secures AGCO Registration as an Internet Gaming Operator in Ontario

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Internet Gaming Operator by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

This significant milestone authorizes absolutebet to offer regulated iGaming services in Ontario’s legal market under the oversight of AGCO and iGaming Ontario (iGO).

The registration marks a key step in absolutebet’s mission to bring a trusted, responsible, and innovative online casino experience to Ontario players. absolutebet is committed to operating with integrity and transparency, meeting all provincial standards for player protection, responsible gambling, anti-money laundering, and game integrity.

Securing AGCO registration is more than a milestoneit’s the start of absolutebet’s journey in one of the most exciting regulated markets in the world,” said Chen Truman, Founder of absolutebet. “We are building a brand that will grow with the Ontario community and set the stage for future expansion.”

On the regulatory milestone, Krisztina Kalla, Legal & Regulatory Compliance Advisor of absolutebet, commented: “I’m incredibly proud to see all the hard work behind this license pay off. Securing AGCO registration has taken months of preparation and close collaboration with regulators and partners. I am very happy to see the result of that work, and even more excited as we move into the launch phase and open up the absolutebet community to Ontario players in a fun and responsible way.”

Ontario is recognized as one of the most competitive and fast-growing regulated iGaming markets in North America. With AGCO registration secured, absolutebet will move forward with the final stages of its iGO onboarding process in preparation for launch.

 

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Canada

Evoplay strengthens Ontario presence in partnership with Caesars Entertainment

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Evoplay strengthens Ontario presence in partnership with Caesars Entertainment

 

Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has partnered with Caesars Entertainment to expand its footprint in the Canadian market, following its initial entry earlier this year. The partnership integrates 20 of the studio’s top-performing titles onto Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in Ontario, including fan-favourites such as Hot Triple Sevens, Triple Chili, and The Greatest Catch Bonus Buy.

Having announced its official entrance into Ontario in March, the collaboration with Caesars marks a significant step in Evoplay’s local strategy. Further standout releases, such as Inner Fire Bonus Buy and Hot Volcano, also launched as part of the initial package, with additional player favourites, including Fruit Nova and Ice Mania.

The collaboration underlines Evoplay’s commitment to working with leading operators to deliver high-quality content tailored to regional audiences.

Alex Malchenko, Head of Sales at Evoplay, said: “Launching with Caesars in Ontario marks a key milestone in our North American strategy.

“It reflects both the strength of our portfolio and our commitment to providing innovative, high-performing content to operators of the highest caliber.”

Ricardo Cornejo Rivas, Vice President of Online Gaming at Caesars Digital, said: “Evoplay brings a fresh and dynamic approach to online gaming, which we’re excited to offer to our players in Ontario. This portfolio of standout titles adds to our growing content library and furthering our ongoing goal of delivering top-tier entertainment experiences to our players.”

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Canada

iGaming Ontario Appoints Joseph Hillier as its New President and CEO

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The iGaming Ontario Board of Directors has announced Joseph Hillier as the organization’s new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 8, 2025. Joseph’s depth in the Ontario igaming market combined with successful public and private sector careers make him the ideal President and CEO at this critical point in iGaming Ontario’s growth.

Joseph was most recently Chief Strategy Officer and Corporate Secretary at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), where he delivered significant strategic and regulatory initiatives across the province’s alcohol, cannabis, gaming, and horse racing sectors. Prior to the AGCO, he served as Chief of Staff to Ontario Attorney General Hon. Doug Downey and led the development, launch and implementation of Canada’s first private sector-driven igaming market and the creation of iGaming Ontario. Joseph also spent more than a decade working in the financial and legal services sectors.

The Board expressed its sincere thanks to David Smith for serving as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer since Martha Otton’s retirement.

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