The CGA Announces Appointment of New Board Members

The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) has recently announced the appointment of two new board members. The members elected will officially form part of the 2023/2024 Board of Directors: 

• Scott Woodgate, BetMGM   

“Scott Woodgate is Vice-President (Canada) for BetMGM. Prior to joining BetMGM, he spent his career in the content industry. Based in the UK then in New York, Scott was a content and production executive for the global streaming service DAZN. Previous to that, the Vancouver native held leadership and production roles at Rogers Sportsnet and CTV News, working across editorial, production and strategy.” 

• Kurt Gissane, Aristocrat Gaming 

“Kurt Gissane serves as Senior Vice President of Sales for North America for Aristocrat Gaming, where he oversees tribal gaming, Class 3, Class 2, CD, ATLS, VLT/VGT, GACOAM and new markets. As a Gaming veteran with over 23 years of industry experience working across Australia, Asia and North America, his extensive knowledge allows him to drive comprehensive strategy and seamless delivery of Aristocrat’s incredible gaming content to the company’s customer base in North America.” 

• In addition to this, Richard Taylor was reappointed as Director of the Board and the CGA extended his term for another three years. 

These members were elected during the CGA’s Annual General Meeting that took place on the 6th of December 2023. 

Comments made regarding the election of these new board members 

Ilkim Hincer, Chair of the Board of Directors, made the following statement: 

“I want to thank Scott Woodgate and Kurt Gissane for accepting these positions, which will play an important role in supporting the growth and sustainability of Canada’s gaming industry, and I have confidence that their diverse experiences will be valuable to the Association as it delivers on its mandate.”  

Paul Burns, President and CEO of the CGA, made the following comment regarding the results of the CGA Annual General Meeting: 

“We are excited to welcome Scott and Kurt to the Board. Their knowledge and expertise will add immense value as the CGA continues to drive our strategic mandate to advance the [evolution] of a regulated and responsible industry through collaboration, education, and advocacy. With Scott and Kurt, we are adding the right voices, experiences, and geographical representation to the table.” 

The Full List of 2023/2024 Board of Directors 

• Scott Burton, CEO, FansUnite Entertainment Inc. 

• Danielle Bush, Counsel, McCarthy Tetrault, LLP 

• Bruce Caughill, Managing Director (Canada) Rush Street Interactive 

• Dean Ehrlich, Executive Vice President & Games Business Leader, Everi 

• Neil Erlick, Chief Corporate Development Officer, Nuvei 

• Kurt Gissane, Senior Vice President, Sales Gaming, Aristocrat 

• Jeffrey Haas 

• Mark Harper 

• Ilkim Hincer, Partner, Chair Gaming, Fogler Rubinoff LLP and Managing Director, FR Advisors LP 

• Charmaine Hogan, Head of Regulatory Affairs, Playtech 

• Dale Hooper, General Manager, FanDuel Canada 

• Chuck Keeling, EVP, Stakeholder Relations and Responsible Gaming, Great Canadian Entertainment 

• Carrie Kormos, Chief Marketing & Communication Officer, Gateway Casinos & Entertainment 

• Adriane McGrath, Vice President, Business Development, Konami Gaming Inc. 

• Niaz Nejad 

• Rob Scarpelli, Managing Director, HLT Advisory Inc. 

• Richard Taylor, President, Niagara Casinos 

• Scott Vanderwell, CEO, PointsBet Canada 

• Shelley White, President & CEO, Responsible Gambling Council 

• Scott Woodgate, Vice President (Canada), BetMGM