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iGaming Ontario Names Joseph Hillier New President and CEO

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Publish Date: Aug 28, 2025

Fact checked by: Sara Jane Gamelli

The iGaming Ontario Board of Directors announced Thursday it has named Joseph Hillier as the organization’s new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective Monday, Sept. 8.

Recently, Hillier was Chief Strategy Officer and Corporate Secretary at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), where he delivered extensive strategic and regulatory initiatives across the province’s alcohol, cannabis, gaming, and horse racing sectors.

canadian flags in front of a business building in ottawa ontario

Prior to the AGCO, he served as Chief of Staff to Ontario Attorney General Hon. Doug Downey and led the development, launch and implementation of Canada’s first private sector-driven iGaming market and the creation of iGaming Ontario. He also has spent more than a decade working in the financial and legal services sectors.

Hillier replaces Martha Otton, who retired from the position of Executive Director in August 2024 after serving a four-year stint. Oton stayed on board until March 31, and David Smith served as interim President and CEO over the last five months.

Hillier will look to deliver on key priorities withing the province including an anti-money laundering system for operators, and a centralized self-exclusion platform for Ontario residents.

iGaming Keeps Steady with Growth

iGaming Ontario has been in existence for the last 3 1/2 years and currently has 50 licensed operators in the regulated market.

On Wednesday, iGaming Ontario announced their financial numbers for July and while sports betting was down 10% (typical for the summer months), iGaming showed a 4% month-over-month increase in total overall handle (CAD $7.56 billion in July, up from $7.25 billion in June).

Casino handle came in a $6.73 billion, a 6% increase since June, while casino revenue came in at $252.3 million, a 4% increase from June.

Also announced Wednesday, Caesars Entertainment and American Gaming Systems (AGS) announced that they have launched Caesars Treasure Trio, another exclusive online slot title offered on their expanded partnership in four U.S. states and Ontario.

Sweepstakes Market Shaky

Hillier also must offer direction on the volatile sweepstakes market, with Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW), the major sweepstakes casino operator behind such sites as Chumba Casino, Luckyland Slots, and Global Poker, announcing Tuesday they will be shutting down all of their platforms in Canada.

The exit has three scheduled phases, with the first starting today (Thursday, Aug. 28), leading up to the end of all access on Oct. 23.

The decision comes after a year or more of scrutiny with many U.S. states taking legal action against social gaming sites using the sweepstakes model.

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