One of the prominent people behind the launch of Ontario’s regulated igaming market in 2022 is retiring from her post.
iGaming Ontario announced today that Executive Director Martha Otton will be stepping away after nearly four years as the inaugural chief executive. Her last day will be Dec. 31, 2024.
iGaming Ontario (iGO) works in collaboration with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). When gaming operators successfully register with the AGCO, they execute an operating agreement with iGO before they can go live in the province.
“Ontario’s competitive igaming market is testament to Martha’s visionary leadership and commitment to working with our operators and broader stakeholders,” said Heidi Reinhart, Chair of iGaming Ontario’s board of directors in a statement.
Otton was appointed to lead iGO in February 2021. Before joining iGO, she was the chief strategy officer at the AGCO and played a key role in the AGCO’s expanded mandate over horse racing and cannabis.
Ontario’s FY 2024-25 Q1 (April 1 to June 30) market performance report showed a continuation in wager and revenue increases, especially looking at year-over-year comparisons.
According to the report, total wagers of $18.4 billion in Q1 (does not include promotional wagers, or bonuses) was a 3.4 percent increase over the last quarter and a 31 percent increase over Q1 of 2023-24.
Total gaming revenue in Q1 was $726 million, a 5.2 percent increase over Q4 and a 34 percent year-over-year increase. Gaming revenue was the total cash wagers including rake fees, tournament fees and other fees from all operators minus player winnings from cash wagers, not taking into account operating costs or other liabilities.
Along with 50 operators and 80 gaming websites, there were nearly 1.9 million active players accounts during Q1, up from 1.3 million during Q4. The average monthly spend per active player account was $284.
