The View Issue 171

1260 – Annual General Meeting

The CGAO [Commercial Gaming Association of Ontario] held its Annual General Meeting in Toronto on the 28^th May 2015. Within the scope of c-Gaming, it has generally been seen as a year of progress & change, which is encouraging and not unusual at this stage of development in turning around a business cycle. As we have previously mentioned, the focus is shifting away from implementation and moving to performance.

This is where all partners begin to look and focus on how the various elements of the program are working through our combined aligned goals benchmark for success. The focus on performance will be equally as challenging as that of implementation and we, as Commercial Operators (Service Providers), must look to ensure we have the right infrastructure to meet those requirements.

At the AGM we also offered for election four (4) positions for Board Directors and the membership decided on retaining the previous Board in place for a further year. The Officers of the Board were selected as follows:

1261 – General Members Meeting

Our next General Members Meeting will be held in Toronto as indicated below. One of the core elements is going to be the agreement to the Whistleblower Policy as required under the Registrar’s Standards for Gaming. I have also taken the opportunity to invite Mr. Rusty Parr to give an overview of the Risk Based Environment and how we are measuring to them.

DATE: 21^st July 2015
DAY:   Tuesday
TIME:  10:00am to 1:00pm
LOCATION:  Holiday Inn (Airport East) Hotel (600 Dixon Road)
ROOM:  Centennial B
REFRESHMENTS:  Light Snacks & Coffee

1262 – Cheque Presentations

Over the last few weeks Delta Gaming Group played host to two (2) cheque presentations, which had been co-ordinated by our Charity Partners. In the municipalities of Pickering & Oakville, the MPP (in both cases Provincial Ministers) in conjunction with the Mayors of both towns, accepted cheques of the monies raised.

At both events this was an excellent opportunity to platform why our Sector is both important and unique. The immediate & direct value that our Charity Groups make within their communities is tremendous and we don’t showcase this enough. These events flagged the importance of the hard work and dedication that all partners place into the industry in delivering this outcome.

1263 – Pan-Am Games - Fast Approaching

In July 2015, the City of Toronto (and surrounding area) will play host to a major sporting event. Although there doesn’t seem to be much excitement expressed or building about the games at the moment, the volume of coverage this is likely to receive will bring it to the attention of the majority of residents in the province.

I would encourage all Commercial Operators to think of initiatives that can both leverage and engage our consumers through this period.

1264 – Responsible Gaming

Once again it is important to highlight to all Commercial Operators and Centre Staff the need to engage in this initiative constructively. In my quarterly meetings with the RGC & OLG representatives, I have been encouraged that we have seen positive improvements in the engagement and acceptance of this area of the business. I am due to have my next meeting in early July and I am looking forward to receiving a similar type of feedback from RGC representatives. Without question we must stay focused and continue to seek improvement and weave this into the fibre of our operational culture. I see that those constructive seeds are being sown within the Centre Staff/Managers.

I would like to remind everybody of the importance of the sensitivities of dealing in this area, especially for the need of confidentiality of any information of data related to anyone who has expressed a need or desire to seek any level of assistance from our RG colleagues or support organizations.

We are moving in the right direction. This comes down to the acceptance, openness and willingness of our Centre staff in embracing RG culture into the business. Well done.

1265 – Stakeholder Engagement - Committees Active

On the 2^nd June in Toronto, the OLG, OCGA & CGAO hosted a joint meeting of the Strategic & Marketing Committee’s,which formally got the process moving.

Led by the Vice President (OLG) of c-Gaming, Mr. Rick Gray,we started by fixing the foundation pieces for our work ahead to ensure that there is alignment as we begin the process of building for the future. We spoke of the three key pillars - Facilities, Products & Service - that are all interlinked and must be in harmony within one another to gain real market traction.

It was a long meeting and that in itself had its challenges but there remains a commitment by each partner to drive forward. It will require new thinking & trust by everybody and I greatly encourage our members to engage in this process with a fresh and open mind to the future.

We will never turn around twenty (20) years of industry decline in a couple of years but the foundation has been laid, initial investments have been made and we are positioned well to seek out opportunities.    

1266 – Canadian Gaming Conference

Leaders of the Canadian Gaming Industry convened down in southern Ontario in the City of Windsor for the Annual Gaming Conference. This is hosted by the Canadian Gaming Association, led by Mr. Bill Rutsey & Mr. Paul Burns in conjunction with Media Edge.

This event allows the Canadian Gaming Sector to showcase its successes and challenges, which are not too different from the other parts of the world. By coming together and networking we share a common cause and we make collective motivating common solutions.

I would say that these events do have their value and encourage our members to support these broader industry events.

1267 – Leveraging Suppliers/Vendors - Built-In Knowledge

I would bring to member’s attention the tremendous resources that are available to you if you only reach out and seek them. Our Supplier/Vendors have tremendous knowledge to assist you in some of your business objectives.

For example, Bazaar Marketing has a broad understanding of the Breakopen Ticket Sector and how that remains relevant in today’s environment. Combined with this is it deals in other promotional materials that are certainly worth looking into. Led by Mr. Peter Speck, this is a service minded company and I would encourage you to speak directly with Peter on what Bazaar Marketing can offer your business.

The same goes for the various other key industry Suppliers we have access to. I have listed below some key Suppliers:

1268 – Golf Day - 2015

On the 4^th June 2015, the CGAO Members & Guests convened for our third annual Golf Day down in Guelph. It was another tremendous golfing day with the weather holding up and offering yet another exciting and enjoyable event.

It was extremely encouraging to have our guests - Ms. Lynn Cassidy, Ms. Joan Martin, Mr. Rick Gray & Mr. Greg McKenzie - all joining for the first time enjoying both the golf and networking platform this provides.

Team Orser (Delta Boardwalk Gaming) takes the championship trophy off Kealey & Associates, who have held the title the first two years of the competition. Michael Orser said…it is not about winning; it is just going out and enjoying a round of golf with colleagues and friends. He took the opportunity to thank all concerned in making it such a successful day.

It is important that we acknowledge the work undertaken by the Golf Committee Chair, Peter Howard (Diamond Game),who has managed this process so well over the last three years. The date for next year is set for Thursday, the 2^nd June 2016.