“Visionary” iGaming Ontario chief to step down at the end of 2024
Martha Otton will call time on her reign as executive director of the Ontario regulator before the turn of the year as the search for her successor gets underway
Martha Otton, the executive director of iGaming Ontario (iGO), has announced she will step down from her post on December 31, 2024, as she brings an end to her four years leading the regulator.
Otton has been a prominent figure within the sector during Ontario’s regulation process, with the province going live with its regulated market in April 2022.
She was chosen as iGO’s executive director in February 2021 after plans were formulated to establish the regulator as an offshoot of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
She initially served as the executive director of the precursory commercial entity which then morphed into iGO in July 2021.
During her time as iGO executive director, Otton has helped oversee a market that now boasts 50 licensed operators running 82 sites in the province.
As of Q1 2024, iGO reported handle of C$18.4bn from April 1 to June 30, representing a 31% year-on-year (YOY) increase.
As of June 30, there were almost 1.9 million active player accounts with average monthly spend per active customer of C$284.
Otton spent just shy of a decade at AGCO between January 2012 and February 2021. In that time, she served as chief strategy officer, where she was a pivotal player in AGCO’s expanded mandate over horse racing and cannabis.
Elsewhere, Otton served as director general at Legal Aid Ontario alongside several different roles at the Ministry of the Attorney General, such as acting assistant deputy attorney general of the Agency Relations Division.
Heidi Reinhart, iGO chair, heaped praise on the departing Otton as she explained: “On behalf of the entire board, I extend my sincere appreciation for Martha’s leadership of iGaming Ontario.
“She has left an impressive legacy across her career, and in particular to Ontario’s gaming sector.
“Ontario’s competitive igaming market is testament to her visionary leadership and commitment to working with our operators and broader stakeholders.”
Doug Downey, Ontario attorney general, echoed a similar sentiment, adding: “As Executive Director of iGaming Ontario, Martha Otton led a successful career in public service.
“I’m proud to have worked alongside her, establishing the first igaming market in Canada, right here in Ontario.
“Congratulations on your upcoming retirement, Martha — your legacy will be felt for generations to come.”
Confirmation of the news was also followed by an update revealing that the search for Otton’s successor has already started.
EGR North America spoke to Otton as part of an exploration into the success of the Ontario market and how it could be a model for future regulation across Canada.
Earlier this month, it was announced that iGaming Ontario would work alongside Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) and IXUP to develop the province’s first centralized self-exclusion system.
The system will integrate with all of Ontario’s licensed operators to provide customers over the age of 19 the chance to create and manage their own profiles, as well as boasting identity verification tools and registration renewal.
Arnold Ash is EGR’s Executive Recruitment Partner. They support ambitious organisations to identify and attract industry leading executive talent. Find out more here.