The regulator of sports betting sites in Canada’s most populous province has found its new chief executive officer, which could signal a decision is coming soon about using athletes and certain celebrities in iGaming advertising in Ontario.
Dr. Karin Schnarr was named Monday as the incoming CEO of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), the regulator’s board of directors announced.
Schnarr, who is currently an associate professor of strategic management at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo (among other things), will assume the AGCO’s CEO role on September 18, a press release said.
“Karin has held numerous senior roles in the Government of Ontario, including as Chief of Staff to ministers in multiple portfolios, during which time she guided the development of public policy, legislation, and regulations related to key government priorities,” the release added. “Recently, Karin served as Chair of the Ontario Government’s Task Force on Women and the Economy.”
Lots to do
Schnarr is succeeding Tom Mungham as the AGCO’s CEO, as the latter announced his plan to retire from the agency in March.
The announcement comes amid the growth of Ontario’s iGaming sector, which the AGCO oversees and which remains the only competitive market for online sports betting in Canada. Billions have been wagered in Ontario's iGaming market since it launched in April 2022 with dozens of private-sector operators.
However, the boom in Ontario sports betting prompted plenty of advertising by the operators of those sports betting sites and online casinos, irking some residents and causing concern about their effect on younger viewers. The AGCO has proposed banning the use of athletes and certain celebrities in iGaming advertising, but that proposal has not been finalized amid a recent bit of turnover atop the gaming-related agencies in Ontario.
Schnarr’s appointment, along with a few others, could be a sign that the AGCO is getting nearer to a final decision.
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