Membership

The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) is a national trade association that represents leading operators and suppliers in Canada’s gaming, sports betting, eSports, and lottery industries - a full spectrum of companies from land-based and online casino operators to providers of global premium sports, eSports, and game content and technology.

 

2022 Key Achievements

• Updated the CGA Strategic Plan to reflect the new membership composition and the changing and gaming landscape in Canada
• Following the CGA Board’s strategic review of the Canadian Gaming Summit, initiated and completed the sale of the Canadian Gaming Summit to SBC
• Increased participation in the Association via committees, project & sector working groups, events, and networking opportunities to address issues such as AML, Responsible Gaming, & Government Advocacy
• Celebrated Ontario’s iGaming market launch on April 4, 2022, by opening the Toronto Stock Exchange
• Held an in-person Summit in Toronto and other member focused events (ICE, G2E) to enhance member engagement
• Continued to be a strong voice for our industry as CGA has regularly commented in the media on Casino re-openings, sports wagering, and Ontario’s iGaming initiative

Working with Industry Stakeholders

The CGA’s advocacy efforts have always involved creating productive dialogues with stakeholders to address issues of common cause. The association’s cooperation and collaboration with provincial gaming corporations, regulators and governments across Canada are to ensure we open avenues for industry growth, innovation, and investment. We are also a voice in the media to raise awareness of the benefits of our industry and how we contribute to communities where we operate. This work is ongoing in 2023.

Promoting Canada's Gaming Industry

The CGA is committed to helping stimulate innovation in the gaming industry by creating opportunities to showcase, promote and advance new products and ideas, both in Canada and worldwide. After all, Canada offers a significant competitive advantage to gaming companies, from tax credits and a favourable tax climate to exceptionally skilled and multi-lingual talent, to innovative technology and its developers. We don’t miss a chance to promote these benefits.

Get to Know Gaming Canada & CGA Updates

CGA also believes that open lines of communication between all industry stakeholders is paramount in growing the industry and increasing public acceptance of gaming. We launched Get to Know Gaming Canada and CGA Updates in 2019 and these vehicles went into high use during 2020 to ensure that members had access to the latest information on government assistance as well as progress on Ontario iGaming and sports betting legislation. We also profile industry news and members in the bi-weekly CGA Update and through our partner, SBC, and the Canadian Gaming Business eNews.

CGA Events

The CGA’s networking receptions at G2E and ICE are among the most popular and sought-after invitations of these conferences. We were able to return to ICE in 2022 to discuss the iGaming model in Ontario and why Canada is a great place to do business, and we returned to our in-person Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto in June 2022, and our [email protected] networking reception in October. In early December, at our Annual General Meeting, we hosted our first members-only Leaders Forum, where we invited senior representatives from our CGA members to attend sessions and networking event in the Lower Mainland area of B.C. We intend to host more of these members-only events in the coming year.

We were in London for ICE in February 2023, and the Summit will make another appearance in Toronto in June 2023, the first time under the ownership of SBC.

iGaming in Ontario

On April 4, 2022, Ontario's iGaming market opened. There is still work to do and the CGA will be an integral part of the AGCO’s and government’s process to ensure the market grows and succeeds. As we consider the possibility other provinces joining, the CGA will be pleased to work with governments and regulators should they request assistance.

Our Advocacy Work

The CGA defines its advocacy priorities through consultation with members and stakeholders and continuously strengthens relationships with provincial crown agencies, regulators, and key federal government stakeholders. The CGA actively works to represent industry viewpoints on behalf of our members as the association develops alliances and strategies to respond to specific circumstances. You can read about our efforts here.

In 2023, the CGA will continue to work with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario (iGO) by connecting them with subject matter experts in a variety of disciplines to discuss areas of concern or friction with the new standards, such as:

• Payment growing pains and prepaid card restrictions
• Affiliates/inducement language
• Addressing banking & insurance difficulties for operators
• Continue work on issues such as the legality of international liquidity
• Support casino operators with red tape reduction efforts