Ontario had a problem — they needed someone with a unique skill set.
It was November 2020, the pandemic had been roiling the province, and lawmakers had just passed a budget that included verbiage to establish the province’s first regulated market for igaming, including online casino sports betting and poker in Ontario.
Lawmakers gave the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) the “authority to conduct and manage igaming,” but they also stipulated that an AGCO subsidiary should “manage the relationship between the government and private igaming operators.”
Other than that, regulators were staring at a blank canvas. It became clear that the person tapped to lead the new AGCO subsidiary would need to be someone uniquely qualified to help Canada’s biggest most populous jurisdiction get the market off the ground.
They needed someone with experience in navigating potential problems and the demeanor to help shepherd a market through a launch. They needed someone who could talk to operators, regulators, the media, and the public. They needed someone with a vision for what the market could be.
In February 2021, Ontario ultimately selected Martha Otton, who had been serving as AGCO’s chief strategy officer since 2013, to lead the AGCO subsidiary — iGaming Ontario (iGO), which became official in July 2021.
“I look forward to working with all stakeholders as we establish Ontario as a safe, world-leading jurisdiction for igaming,” Otton posted to her LinkedIn profile shortly after her appointment as iGO’s executive director.
Fast forward to today, Otton is two months away from retirement and leaving with Ontario’s regulated igaming market ascendant — drawing a record CAD $18.7 billion in wagers and $738 million in gaming revenue during its most recent quarter.
Praise for Otton’s Leadership
Paul Burns, president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), told pokerfuse that the CGA “is grateful for Martha’s hard and tenacious work in launching Canada’s first regulated gaming jurisdiction and for helping to grow it into one of the world’s most successful markets.
“Her retirement is well-earned and she has our appreciation for her leadership and vision in shaping the future of igaming in Ontario.”
Heidi Reinhart, chair of iGO’s Board of Directors, echoed that sentiment in a statement announcing Otton’s retirement in August.
“She has left an impressive legacy across her career, and in particular to Ontario’s gaming sector,” Reinhart said. “Ontario’s competitive igaming market is testament to her visionary leadership and commitment to working with our operators and broader stakeholders.”
Former iGO board chairman Dave Forestell added that Otton “built a tremendous team of professionals, stood up and brand new industry in the province, and oversaw growing revenue for the government while keeping players safe.
“Early on, iGO set a mission to make Ontario the best gaming jurisdiction in the world,” Forestell posted to LinkedIn. “It sounded audacious, but Martha Otton and the team at iGO made it happen.”
Otton Touted Job Creation From iGaming
The government had initially hoped to launch igaming in December 2021, but it didn’t happen until April 2022.
Otton has always been bullish about the province’s potential for igaming. In June 2023, during the Canadian Gaming Summit, she lauded a Deloitte report commissioned by iGO that estimated Ontario’s regulated igaming market would generate more than $2.1 billion in tax revenue and support up to 22,000 jobs by the year 2031.
“Whether they’re direct or indirect jobs in the market and an average salary well above the provincial average, they’re good jobs for this province coming here.” Otton told attendees of the 2023 show, according to GGB News. She added that Ontario was “crushing it” for igaming.
The next year, Deloitte issued a follow-up report that found Ontario’s igaming market generated more than $1.2 billion in tax revenue and supported nearly 15,000 jobs during its second full year in operation.
Speaking on the sidelines of this year’s installment of the Canadian Gaming Summit, Otton said she is immediately drawn to the number of jobs that igaming has created in the province.
“It’s not just the numbers, it’s the salaries attached to the jobs,” Otton told Steve McAllister in a one-on-one interview for a podcast on Gaming News Canada. “The salaries are significant. They’re good jobs, if I could put it that way — they’re the STEM jobs.
“These are software engineers, that sort of thing that the job creation is landing here in Ontario.”
A Long Career in Public Service
Before her tenure with the AGCO, Otton worked for Legal Aid Ontario, which provides legal assistance for people with low income.
She then went to work in the AG’s office. Public records show Otton began her government career as the director for policy and program coordination within the AG’s office in 2006. She held that post through 2012, after serving briefly as Acting Assistant Deputy Attorney General for agency relations in 2011.
Otton joined the AGCO as its chief strategy officer in 2013 and held that position through 2020.
Public records also show Otton received a salary of $271,092 to serve as iGO’s executive director in 2021. She received a 2% raise the next year, followed by an additional 10% in 2023, increasing her salary to $304,040.
iGO is currently looking for someone to succeed Otton, whose last day is December 31.
