The Canadian Lottery Coalition (CLC) has confirmed a new Executive Director, Molly Cormier, in the midst of a high level legal battle involving the Canadian lottery sector.
Cormier has worked for the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC), the Crown Corporation Lottery of the four Canadian Atlantic Coast provinces, since 2016, most recently working as the company’s Director of Brand Communications.
She has been tasked with spearheading the CLC’s lobbying and political engagement efforts amidst the expansion of regulated sports betting and iGaming in Canada – first in Ontario in 2023 and now with Alberta set to launch a market this year.
The CLC was formed in 2021 by the AL alongside Loto-Québec, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries (MBLL), and British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), following the legalisation of fixed odds sports betting in Canada in August that year.
The coalition has made responsible advertising a top priority, particularly across sporting events. It has also emphasised the need for strong legal protections for Canadians amid the expansion of the iGaming industry, and the need to clamp down on the illegal market and distinguish it from the legal one.
“I am pleased to join the Coalition at a time when the need for clear, coordinated national policy to protect player health, especially among young Canadians, has never been greater,” said Cormier.
“My priorities will be to address gaps in federal legislation and regulation related to the promotion and advertising of online gambling, particularly sports betting; respond to the continued proliferation of illegal online gambling websites in Canada; and strengthen collaboration with governments, regulators and industry stakeholders.
“Canadians should be able to clearly distinguish between legal, accountable gambling options and offshore sites that operate outside Canadian and provincial laws and public safeguards.”
Cormier joins the CLC not just ahead of the launch of Alberta’s regulated betting market on 13 July but also amid a Supreme Court battle between the four members of the coalition and legal authorities in Ontario.
In November, the Ontario Court of Appeal approved the provincial government’s request to allow Ontario platforms to enable peer-to-peer paid fantasy sports and online poker beyond Canada’s borders – this essentially allows Ontario paid-for fantasy sports and online poker players to compete against non-Ontarians.
The ALC, BCLC, MBLL and Loto-Quebec have all protested the Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision.
Outside of this legal battle, iGaming remains high on the agenda for some CLC members. Loto-Quebec, for example, has been vocal in its opposition to calls for the creation of a regulated online gaming market in its province, similar to that of Ontario and soon Alberta.
It seems that Cormier has joined the CLC with an intense period of lobbying coming up.
Dallas McCready, President and Chief Executive of AL and a member of the CLC Executive Board, said: “Molly brings the experience, leadership and judgment the Coalition needs as governments and regulators confront growing challenges around gambling advertising and consumer protection.
“She understands the urgency of supporting player health, especially in the face of clear gaps in federal law and enforcement.”