Amaya's online chief exits over NJ licence delay

Amaya Gaming’s VP of online Paul Leggett has left the company by mutual consent after New Jersey’s gambling regulator cautioned an investigation into his previous role as COO of Tokwiro Enterprises could delay the firm’s licence application.

Leggett’s sudden departure comes just days before the Canadian supplier is expected to launch its online gaming platform and content to several partners in the US state including Caesars Entertainment and bwin.party.

It is understood Don Jaques, director of business development at Amaya, will take over Leggett’s responsibilities.

According to sources, the Division of Gaming Enforcement informed Amaya last week that it intended to investigate Leggett’s career, part of which was spent at the owners of Black Friday-indicted site UltimateBet and Absolute Poker. Both poker sites were also involved in a cheating scandal in 2007.

While the DGE did not say whether the investigation would lead to a negative outcome for Leggett and Amaya, it made clear that it would inevitably delay the company’s application and therefore put its B2B operations in jeopardy.

Subsequently Leggett, who joined Amaya in April this year overseeing the Ongame Poker Network and its other online gaming brands, offered to leave with immediate effect in order to keep the licence application on track.

Amaya Gaming was one of several suppliers to be issued a transactional waiver by New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement last week, sealing it’s partnerships with Caesars, The Borgata, Trump Plaza and The Golden Nugget in the Garden State.