OLG board resigns in protest at chairman's dismissal
Paul Godfrey dismissed after three years as chair of OLG " upheaval "unlikely to affect" plans to launch online gambling offering
The board of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has resigned after chairman Paul Godfrey was fired from his role.
The reasons behind Godfrey’s dismissal are unclear, with a statement from the province’s finance minister Charles Sousa thanking the former chair for his service, but failing to reveal why he had been removed. Secretary of the cabinet Peter Wallace will take on Godfrey’s role until a replacement is selected.
There had been speculation in the Canadian press that the board’s resignation would delay the online launch, though a source close to the matter told eGR that it was “unlikely to affect” online operations.
In an email to OLG’s employees, chief executive Rod Philips was unable to offer any further insights, but also thanked Godfrey, praising his “tireless advocacy and leadership of [the] organisation”.
Philips thanked the employees for their “hard work and dedication as [OLG] transitions to a new governance team”. Godfrey was appointed chair in 2009.
According to CBC News, Godfrey announced the board had resigned in protest at his dismissal at a press conference held in Toronto last night. He complained about the manner of his dismissal, saying that he “would have preferred a phone call” after media reports suggested that he would be removed earlier this week.
The news comes after eGaming Review exclusively revealed that the OLG was preparing to launch a tender process to select a third-party online bingo supplier, and is hiring a product manager with “a strong understanding of gaming and betting” to lead the project. This will be followed by a request for proposals (RFP) for a casino software provider, expected to be launched before the end of summer.
Last month Spielo G2 was announced as the province’s primary supplier of internet gaming products and services, with the service provider supplying slots, table games and lottery products. It will oversee the launch of the Play OLG site by the end of 2013.