During recent Annual General Meeting in Vancouver, the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) communicated the appointment of six new members to the Association’s Board of Directors. According to Ilkim Hincer, Chair of the Board: “Given this unprecedented time of growth in the Canadian gaming industry, we have been amplified. Increased representation is important to ensure that the labor 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.”
Bruce Caughill, Mark Harper, Charmaine Hogan, Dale Hooper, Niaz Nejad, and Scott Vanderwel are now part of the Board. 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, he served as Chief Legal Officer with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. Harper has been the General Manager at NS Sports for 5 years and is a 25+ year digital media veteran. Hogan is Head of Regulatory Affairs at Playtech, and has several years of experience in the gambling industry. Previously, she worked on EU legislation and policy development in Brussels. Hooper is the General Manager of FanDuel Canada. A dynamic executive 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 command FanDuel’s expansion into Canada with major success. Nejad is Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing for U.S. and Canada at Aristocrat Gaming. She supervises the overall brand and marketing strategy, execution, and business performance, responsible for infusing innovation and creativity throughout. 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.
About these nominations, Paul Burns, president and CEO of the CGA, expressed: “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. 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. In this sense, the CGA thanks David Flinn, Bob Parente, and George Sweny for their contributions to the Association and the Canadian gaming industry overall. Both George and Bob have agreed to continue to serve the CGA Board in different capacities moving forward.
Now, the full 2022/2023 CGA Board of Directors includes the following representatives in alphabetical order: Scott Burton (CEO, FansUnite Entertainment Inc.); Danielle Bush (Counsel, McCarthy Tetrault, LLP); Bruce Caughill (Managing Director for 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, U.S. and Canada, Aristocrat Gaming); Rob Scarpelli (Managing Director, HLT Advisory Inc.); Richard Taylor (President, Niagara Casinos); Scott Vanderwel (CEO, PointsBet Canada), and Shelley White (President & CEO, Responsible Gambling Council).