Martha Otton remaining at the helm of iGaming Ontario for three more months

Martha Otton will remain at the helm of iGaming Ontario (iGO) three months longer to give iGO time to find her successor.

Earlier this year, it was announced Otton would retire from her position as iGO’s President and Chief Executive Officer at the end of this December. As the search continues to replace her, Otton has now “graciously agreed to delay her retirement” three additional months to “ensure the agency’s steady leadership of Ontario’s competitive iGaming market.”

OLG comments suggest Ontario retail sportsbooks at racetracks are not on its radar

Last week, the Gaming News Canada newsletter wrote about the lack of retail sportsbooks in Ontario and how allowing them at the province’s horse racing facilities might be a good fit.

Retail sports betting is overseen by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG). We asked the OLG’s media team if there are any developments in the retail sports betting space in the province.

We received this response, presented here in its entirety:

“As you are aware, a couple of years ago we gave our casino operators the opportunity to offer sports betting in gaming sites. The decision about whether to offer it at any casino was up to the service provider responsible for each location.

“OLG is pleased with the operators who have opened sportsbooks – the sportsbook at Fallsview is the biggest in Ontario, in addition to the one at Caesars, plus the other sports betting options available at the smaller casinos across the province.

“Currently, it’s status quo on the number of offerings available.”

Note, we did specially ask: “Woodbine has long campaigned for retail sportsbooks at its tracks and teletheatres. Is that something the OLG is actively considering allowing Woodbine to operate? If so, is there a timeline?”

The OLG’s response appears to indicate that sportsbooks at racetracks is not currently on the lottery corporation’s radar.

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Sports gambling industry gets discussed in D.C.

While our elected officials on Parliament Hill and their inner circles were still trying to figure out what in the name of John A. Macdonald happened Monday when Chrystia Freeland said au revoir to serving in Justin Trudeau’s Cabinet, member of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary got together for its first America’s High-Stakes Bet on Legalized Sports Gambling hearing on the sports betting industry south of Fort Erie.

On behalf of our loyal subscribers, the Gaming News Canada newsroom aggregated some of the coverage from the day’s proceedings, including:

• Pat Evans of Legal Sports Report was on the case, and reported the American Gaming Association’s absence from the initial hearing. And speaking of the AGA, it posted this on the platform formerly known as the Twitter:

• Dustin Gouker, via his excellent dispatch The Closing Line, was somewhat of a doubting Thomas that there’ll be any federal regulation of the U.S. gaming industry.
• The current climate of partisan politics makes a coordinated federal strategy on regulating gambling a long shot, wrote Geoff Zochodne at Covers.
• Five stars to Jeff Edelstein for the Rodney Dangerfield reference in his Casino Reports piece.
• SBC’s Jessica Welman, in her article surmised that mainstream media would focus on the verbal volleys between NCAA head honcho Charlie Baker and lawmakers “about the participation of trans athletes in college sports”.
• Jill Dorson of iGaming Business highlighted the transgender issue in her reporting.
• The aforementioned Baker, along with NFLPA representative Johnson Bademosi, called on the committee to take action against problem gambling and the abuse of athletes by bettors, reported David Purdum and Shwetha Surendran on ESPN.com.
• Robert Linnehan of Sports Betting Dime wrote that the two-hour-plus hearing “was likely the first step into continued discussions on potential federal oversights for the industry in 2025”.
• Last but certainly not least, this X thread from the flying fingers of Straight to the Point author Steve Ruddock.

MetaBet boss Mark Phillip joins the GNCS podcast

Before Gaming News Canada breaks for the holidays, we will present two new podcasts this week, presented by GBG Plc.

The first dropped yesterday featuring Are You Watching This?! founder Mark Phillip. The service provides real-time data for professional and U.S. college sports around the world.

In 2019, after the overturning of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) to legalize expanded sports betting in the U.S., Phillip founded MetaBet to deliver sports wagering technology to media companies.

Topics covered in Phillip’s chat with GNC editor and podcast host Steve McAllister include:

• the growth of both companies

• the challenges and opportunities in an ever-expanding media rights world

• speculation on what the NHL broadcasting landscape will look like in Canada when the Rogers deal expires in 2026.

People on the Move

• James Hartmann and Louis Trombetta join the government relations team at FanDuel.
• Hard Rock Digital names Edward Hartman as Managing Director – Corporate Development.
• Olga Bajela is leaving Stakelogic as Chief Commercial Officer, and will be replaced by Dejan Loncar.
• Former MGM head honcho Jim Murren is introduced as Chair of the new board of directors for Resorts World Las Vegas.
• Warren Jacobs joins the board of BetComply as a non-executive director.
• Vixio GamblingCompliance business editor David Altenar is retiring at the end of the year after a run of almost 13 years with the company.

Classified (Jobs) Information

• Entain is searching for a Senior People Partner – Commercial.
• FanDuel has opportunities at its Toronto offices for a Brand Marketing Manager and a Digital Media Manager. The rather bigly operator is also hiring a Finance Director for its New York location.
• Pinnacle has an opportunity for a Senior Soccer Trader at its location in the city below Innisfil, ON.
• Hard Rock Digital has an executive opening for a VP – CRM & Promo Engagement.
• The Responsible Gambling Council is on the lookout for a PR & Communications Manager.
• Copenhagen-based Omnigame wants to hire a Business Development & Project Manager.
• SportFive is seeking a Director, Partnership Sales (Creator, Gaming).
• The Northern Super League is hiring a Director of Content.
• The Canadian Football League is on a seek-and-employ mission for a Director and Legal Counsel – Labour and Advocacy.
• The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) is looking for a Social Media & Communications Manager.
• Canada’s National Newspaper is in the market for an Assistant Sports Editor.
• The National Football League is seeking a Manager, Social Production and Creator Activation.

Suggesting a few new holiday tunes for your collection

The annual Fresh Waves Holiday Show hit the Internet broadcast airwaves on the Radio Free Madness station on Tuesday and, this year, we featured eight brand new and original holiday songs (and two personal favourites).

The set featured new music from:

(Canada’s own) Michael Bublé and Carly Pearce

Bella Brown & The Jealous Lovers

Charlie Puth

Ben Folds and Lindsey Kraft

Yachtley Crew

Sabrina Carpenter

Ed Sheeran

and

Dave Barnes

Those songs can be found in the Fresh Waves 2024 and beyond playlists on Apple Music and Spotify, but, for now, we think you might like this brand new holiday piano duet between Ben Folds and Lindsey Kraft.

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