Ontario gambling regulator seeks new leadership as long-serving CEO retires

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has engaged an executive search firm to headhunt a new CEO following the departure of Tom Mungham.

Mungham will step down from his combined role as registrar and chief executive in the autumn when he is set to retire after more than 33 years of public service in the Canadian province.

After joining AGCO as a director of licensing and registration in 2006, Mungham advanced to the COO role before taking overall control of the regulator in 2020.

Prior to AGCO, he worked in the Ministries of Correctional Services and Solicitor General before moving on to the Ontario Provincial Police, where he occupied several roles including CFO, chief learning officer and bureau commander.

At AGCO, his legacy includes the modernisation and then expansion of land-based casinos, the regulation of OLG lotteries, the expansion of charitable gaming sectors and the Ontario Racing Commission’s merger with the AGCO.

AGCO chair Lalit Aggarwal: “We extend him our deepest appreciation for his guidance in fulfilling AGCO’s mandate with unwavering commitment to the values of integrity, respect, accountability, and public interest.”

His biggest achievement in gaming, however, was overseeing the development and regulatory oversight of Ontario’s new online gaming market, which went live in April of last year.

“On behalf of the board and staff, I want to thank Tom for his tremendous contributions throughout his 17-year career at the AGCO, and most importantly, for his exceptional leadership as our registrar and CEO,” said AGCO chair Lalit Aggarwal.

“We extend him our deepest appreciation for his guidance in fulfilling AGCO’s mandate with unwavering commitment to the values of integrity, respect, accountability, and public interest. We wish him the very best for this next, well-earned chapter,” he added.

Mungham will continue in both roles while the board searches for a new CEO. He will remain in place to support a smooth transition until the successful applicant begins.

For Q3 2022, total regulated gaming revenue in Ontario reached C$457m, representing a 71% increase on the previous quarter.

Consumers in the province wagered more than C$11.5bn on online gambling over the same period.