Canadian Gaming Association adds four board members including DraftKings, FansUnite's leadership

The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), a trade association representing operators and suppliers in the country’s gaming, sports betting, esports and lottery industries, on Monday announced the appointment of four new members of its Board of Directors, which took place during the CGA’s Annual General Meeting on November 10.

The new members are Jeffrey Haas, SVP, International Strategy, DraftKings; Scott Burton, CEO of FansUnite Entertainment; Neil Erlick, Chief Corporate Development Officer, Nuvei; and Chuck Keeling, EVP, Stakeholder Relations and Responsible Gaming, Great Canadian Gaming Corporation.

In his role as FansUnite’s CEO, Burton oversees overall business vision and framework, global operations, corporate strategy and development. Prior to this, he served as the CEO of Askott Entertainment before it merged into FansUnite, and has experience securing and overseeing multiple gaming licenses in several jurisdictions such as the UK, Malta, Isle of Man. He is also a Chartered Professional Accountant with more than 20 years of operational experience and is considered a pioneer in the esports betting industry.

In an official statement, Burton spoke about his appointment and said: "It's a real privilege to be able to serve on the Board of the Canadian Gaming Association. To have the opportunity to help shape the future of Canadian gaming is an honor. I look forward to working with the CGA to ensure the best experience for sports betting and iGaming operators and consumers."

Last week, after the approval and coming into force of Bill C-218 and Ontario's iGaming launch, FansUnite went after the Gaming Related Supplier-Manufacturer license, granted by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. Provided it gets approved, this would allow FansUnite to operate in the country with its Chamaleon service, its proprietary sports, esports and casino white label gaming platform. 

Haas has 20+ years' experience helping build some of the largest digital and land-based global gaming businesses , including DraftKings, PokerStars, the World Poker Tour (WPT), Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT), European Poker Tour (EPT) & PartyPoker.

Erlick is the Chief Corporate Development Officer at Nuvei, where he oversees strategic business development in key industry verticals, corporate partnerships, as well as enhancing the Company’s overall growth in the North American regulated gaming market. He has 20+ years’ experience in payments, sports & entertainment and has facilitated partnerships with professional sports teams and leagues, as well as brokered transformational deals in high growth digital sectors.

Keeling's family and outside partners owned racetracks in Surrey and Victoria, BC, and he started working in the business when he was eight years old. In 2004, Great Canadian Gaming acquired these racetracks and retained Keeling to oversee the company’s horse racing interests. In 2013, they appointed him VP, Stakeholder Relations and Responsible Gaming and in 2019, he was appointed Executive Vice President, Stakeholder Relations and Responsible Gaming, with enhanced responsibilities supporting the company’s BC properties.

“That the CGA Board added four new members is a testament to the Association’s exponential growth in 2021,” said Carrie Kormos, Chair of the Board. “We welcomed 18 new members and diversified by adding sports betting and eSports operators, payment companies, and many non-gaming suppliers. This will provide the CGA with an opportunity to act as a convenor for the industry as a whole and build collaboration during this exciting period in Canadian gaming.”

“I am pleased to welcome Scott, Neil, Jeffrey and Chuck to the CGA Board of Directors and believe their experience will help the Association implement its operational strategy as we move out of COVID,” said Paul Burns, President and CEO of the CGA. "These seasoned professionals have strong track records as trusted leaders in the gaming industry, and they will provide invaluable insight as we look to launch a regulated iGaming market in Ontario and single-event sports betting across Canada.”

The full 2021/2022 CGA Board of Directors now includes:

• Scott Burton, CEO, FansUnite Entertainment Inc.
• Danielle Bush, Counsel, McCarthy Tetrault, LLP
• Dean Ehrlich, Executive Vice President & Games Business Leader, Everi
• Neil Erlick, Chief Corporate Development Officer, Nuvei
• David Flinn, Regional Vice President Sales, Canada, South & Central America, IGT
• Jeffrey Haas, SVP, International Strategy, DraftKings Inc.
• Ilkim Hincer, EVP & Chief Legal Officer, Hard Rock International
• Chuck Keeling, EVP, Stakeholder Relations and Responsible Gaming, Great Canadian Gaming Corporation
• Carrie Kormos, Chief Marketing & Communication Officer, Gateway Casinos & Entertainment
• Adriane McGrath, Vice President, Business Development, Konami Gaming Inc.
• Bob Parente, EVP & Chief Revenue Officer, Scientific Games
• Rob Scarpelli, Managing Director, HLT Inc.
• George Sweny, Vice President Regulatory Affairs, Flutter International
• Richard Taylor, President, Niagara Casinos
• Shelley White, President & CEO, Responsible Gambling Council