Canadian Gaming Association names six new board members

The board has appointed Bruce Caughill, Charmaine Hogan, Mark Harper, Dale Hooper, Niaz Nejad and Scott Vanderwel.

Canada.- The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) has announced the appointment of six new board members. At its Annual General Meeting, it named Bruce Caughill, Charmaine Hogan, Mark Harper, Dale Hooper, Niaz Nejad, and Scott Vanderwel as members of the board.

With nearly 25 years of executive experience in the Canadian gaming industry, Bruce Caughill is managing director (Canada) for Rush Street Interactive. Caughill worked as chief legal officer with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and served as VP legal and chief compliance officer with the Niagara Casinos.

Charmaine Hogan, Playtech’s head of regulatory affairs, has several years of experience in the gambling industry. Previously, she worked on EU legislation and policy development in Brussels. Mark Harper was the general manager at NS Sports for five years while Dale Hooper is the general manager of FanDuel Canada with over twenty years of leadership experience.

Niaz Nejad is currently senior vice president and head of marketing for US and Canada at Aristocrat Gaming. Scott Vanderwel is PointsBet Canada CEO since August 2021 and was previously senior vice president for Rogers Communications.

Chair of the CGA board Ilkim Hincer said: “Given this unprecedented time of growth in the Canadian gaming industry, the CGA board of directors has been amplified by five new members. 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.”

CGA President and CEO Paul Burns added: “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.”

Ontario betting operators ordered to stop offering UFC bets

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has ordered sports betting operators to halt all betting on Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events. AGCO decision’s is due to concerns about non-compliance with its betting integrity requirements.

AGCO’s integrity safeguards are intended to mitigate match-fixing and other illicit activity that might influence the outcome events. They include an obligation that operators ensure events are “effectively supervised by a sport governing body which must, at minimum, prescribe final rules and enforce codes of conduct that include prohibitions on betting by insiders.”