"Every province is unique and needs to examine the issue individually to meet its own needs and public policy priorities. I’m sure each province will


look at the successes and challenges of Ontario and learn


from them. I suspect other provinces will follow suit with a view to channelling the unregulated markets into fully


regulated ones, but none will be identical to Ontario.


With the nature of how the law works in Canada, this is almost entirely a matter for each province to decide on its own.


"Each province has its own unique characteristics - you can't just layer Ontario's model on top of Alberta for example," says Ilkim. "Every province is unique and needs to examine the issue individually to meet its own needs and public policy priorities. I’m sure each province will look at the successes and challenges of Ontario and learn from them. I suspect other provinces will follow suit with a view to channelling the unregulated markets into fully regulated ones, but none will be identical to Ontario.


"So long as everyone works under the same philosophy of how best to meet consumer demand while protecting the public and allowing for sufficient flexibility in operational expertise, the industry can be very successful.


“We need to meet consumer demand responsibly and this will be done on a jurisdiction-by- jurisdiction basis, with learnings gained by what's been happening in Ontario."


LIQUIDITY POSSIBILITY Whilst the current legal situation in


Ontario only allows for closed liquidity models, regulators and operators alike are seeking a pathway to enhanced consumer choice. Liquidity is important for several reasons. Namely, it makes the product more appealing to the consumer.


"Tose conversations have been happening for some time at many levels. I suspect there will be some version of liquidity based on some type of arrangements among the provinces. For example, if there is a desire to do so, British Columbia may share players with Ontario and other provinces.


"Ten there is international liquidity which is a bigger question based on the legalities of how the changing gaming industry exists. Some of these are very technical, legal questions, a few are more policy orientated, and others are subject to interpretation.


"Right now, I see very little limitation on cross provincial liquidity being enhanced and expanded in Canada. Tat is a matter for the provinces to green light amongst themselves and I suspect this will happen. "


Te Canadian government's five- year review of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act looms large. Top of mind is how the gaming industry can go one step further and work with the federal government and FINTRAC to continue to modernise procedures, regulations and requirements, better guaranteeing protections for consumers - and themselves.


"Tese are the types of issues that are of great interest to operators and the CGA. For example, there have been many discussions regarding who ought to be the reporting entity - the property, the operator, or the Crown corporations? Canada is an interesting reality insofar as there are the provincial laws which govern gaming essentially and then the federal overlay with the Criminal Code and AML legislation.


"It always behoves the industry to enhance consumer protection through best practices, learn from other jurisdictions and personal experiences to be at the forefront and lead the discussion to ensure alignment in the best possible way from a consumer protection perspective. It's not just self- serving - it's the right thing to do.


Te CGA tries to play a role in connecting the dots, unifying conversation and be a thought leader. Unlike a few years ago, the Canadian Gaming Association comprises a full spectrum of companies from land-based and online casino operators to providers of global sports, esports, and game content and technology. One of the tenets and foundational philosophies of the CGA is to help the industry evolve, and this necessitates the membership evolving with it.


Essentially, the CGA is a pan Canadian gaming association like the American Gaming Association - but smaller in scope given the respective markets. Te membership reflects the market opportunities, hence its recent growth. In the CGA's latest Annual General Meeting, five new members joined the Association's Board of Directors: Bruce Caughill, Managing Director (Canada) for Rush Street Interactive, Mark Harper, GM at NS Sports, Charmaine Hogan, Head of Regulatory Affairs at Playtech, Dale Hooper, General Manager of FanDuel Canada, Niaz Nejad, Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing for U.S. and Canada at


"Given the rapid emergence and evolution of


technology and the tremendous pace at which consumer expectations evolve, it is critical that Canadian industry stakeholders,


whether through the CGA or bilateral or other multilateral


conversations, work collaboratively on


how to be successful together. Just like each province is unique, Canada itself is different than say the United States or Europe.”


Aristocrat Gaming, and Scott Vanderwel, PointsBet Canada's CEO.


"We have subcommittees and certain groups, such as the regulatory innovation group, that have tapped into the expertise of operators and stakeholders across the country, providing input to other stakeholders such as governments and crown agencies to be able to share best practices that our members and partners have developed and shared on given topics.


“Let's get in a room and discuss as Canadian gaming industry stakeholders how best to leverage those experiences," urges Ilkim.


"We can help facilitate those conversations and plan to play a greater role in the coming years. Tere continue to be misconceptions about the industry. At the CGA we can also be a sounding board and a repository of accurate data and information.


"Given the rapid emergence and evolution of technology and the tremendous pace at which consumer expectations evolve, it is critical that Canadian industry stakeholders, whether through the CGA or bilateral or other multilateral conversations, work collaboratively on how to be successful together. Just like each province is unique, Canada itself is different than say the United States or Europe. As we build Canadian solutions to real world issues, it behoves us all to learn from one another and evolve as the world evolves.


"Tere are a lot of very experienced people in Canada working every day on these matters. I think sometimes change is difficult and not everyone will be aligned on every issue one hundred percent of the time. Tat being said, I’m confident that we can put egos aside, make a choice to build on common ground, and succeed together.


“In my humble opinion, the last couple of years have seen a level of collaboration which is the best and most promising in a long time. Balancing multiple interests, perspectives and needs in an industry this large and impactful is never easy. With the assistance of the CGA and a collaborative mind- set, I’m very hopeful that the industry will continue to thrive in a socially responsible way.”


WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS P63


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