Ontario regulator begins search for new CEO and president 

Ontario’s igaming regulator, iGaming Ontario (iGO), is searching for a new leader ahead of Martha Otton’s departure at the end of the year. 

The executive director took office in February 2021, when iGO was established as an offshoot of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and 14 months before the Canadian province’s regulated market went live in April 2022. 

This August, Otton announced that she would leave her post as of December 31, bringing an end to her tenure in the process. 

As a result, the regulator is now on the hunt for a successor and has issued a job advert in partnership with leadership advisory firm Odgers Berndtson.

However, the role of iGO executive director will be replaced by that of CEO and president.

The advert stated the new recruit will be required to “provide visionary leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight within an ever-changing igaming market.” 

The new CEO and president would also answer to iGO’s board of directors, as well as being responsible for every aspect of the organization’s operational efforts, according to the posting.

Those include “strategic planning and implementation, business development, business optimization, player relationships,  financial and risk management.” 

The chosen candidate will also spearhead regulatory and legislative compliance efforts, as well as “government relations, operator relationships, and employee management and development.” 

Whoever takes the reins from Otton will, according to the advert, be entrusted to lead a market that is made up of more than 50 licensed operators, which when combined “generate gross gaming revenue (GGR) of more than $2bn annually.”

There is also significant emphasis placed on combating black market activity and, in turn, the next iGO president and CEO will work with the organization’s partners as well as AGCO to bolster player protection from unlicensed operators. 

The vacancy continued: “The ideal candidate is adept at navigating both the private and public sectors, seamlessly engaging with a wide range of stakeholders including operators, regulators, government, players, and iGaming Ontario’s employees.  

“You are well versed in working with a board of directors and have demonstrated operational and financial management skills, political acumen, and utilized modern approaches to technology procurement and adoption.” 

The next person to lead iGO will do so in the wake of an impressive reign from Otton, whose “visionary leadership” was praised by Heidi Reinhart, chair of the iGO board. 

In the aftermath of Otton’s exit, Reinhart declared: “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.” 

Last month, iGO reported that handle for fiscal Q2 in Ontario had leapt 31.7% against the corresponding period last year.