Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
All Change
In November, the Responsible Gaming Council of Ontario announced that Sarah McCarthy would be replacing Shelly White as their CEO. The RGC had announced in June that White would retire in December after eight years at the helm of the organization tasked with keeping Ontarians safe from gambling harms.
The job advert for her successor called for a new CEO who could lead with conviction in the rapidly evolving, digital-first gambling industry. McCarthy will lead and execute the organization’s strategic plan for the remainder of the decade and beyond. She has large shoes to fill and the RGC had nothing but praise for their departing head.
A briefing read,
“Shelley’s leadership has been transformative, steering the RGC through significant initiatives that have expanded our reach and deepened our impact. Her strategic foresight was instrumental in launching groundbreaking programs that have set industry standards in responsible gambling. Her passion for advocacy and her commitment to our cause have not only enriched our organization but also the broader community we serve.”
“As Shelley embarks on her well-earned retirement, we reflect on her legacy of innovation and leadership, and we extend our heartfelt thanks for her years of dedicated service.”
What is the Responsible Gambling Council?
Founded in 1983, The Responsible Gambling Council is an independent not-for-profit organization focused on protecting players using education and information programs to reduce risks and prevent problem gambling. It provides its own accreditation called RG Check for operators that meet its criteria. With ever more fresh casino sites appearing on the market, the RGC works with operators, reviewers and the regulator to provide the safest online gambling market possible.
Who is Sarah McCarthy
The RGC describe Sarah McCarthy as a collaborative leader with fifteen years of experience leading teams to build and deliver social impact using innovative solutions to solve complex problems. She was most recently Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the Rick Hansen Foundation – a charitable organization dedicated to creating a world without barriers for people with disabilities.
Her responsibilities included strategic and operational planning, stewardship of impactful business development strategies, and implementing a wide range of programs and initiatives. She was the team lead across four key departments, namely,
Accessibility Certification,
Accessibility Advisory Services social enterprise,
School Programs
Marketing/Communications
She is credited with significantly advancing the Foundation's mission of inclusion and accessibility. With her in office, the Rick Hansen Foundation launched and implemented an innovative building's Accessibility Certification program. To date, almost 2,000 buildings have been certified under the scheme, and more than 2,600 professionals trained to promote inclusivity across various sectors. She secured $20 million in government funding for this project, which exemplifies her prowess in forging partnerships with the government and corporations alike.
She facilitated the development of Accessibility Advisory Services. This social enterprise helps people with accessibility improvements, and she led the expansion of the RHF School program, educating over 270,000 children about diversity and accessibility.
Early career
Earlier in her career, she was Executive Director at the International Society for Nurses in Cancer Care and held roles at other notable non-profits. She has always driven significant policy and governance advancements on a national and international scale. She has been pivotal in setting global standards and influencing policy.
Accessibility has been a driving passion in McCarthy’s career. She is a Member of the Strategy Committee for the Accelerating Accessibility Coalition at Urban Land Institute Toronto. She was previously a Member of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force,
a Member of the Accessibility Roadmap Research Project Advisory Panel at the Canadian Standards Association and a Member of the National Advisory Committee, Future of Public Education at People for Education.
Bursting with qualifications
She is undoubtedly qualified for whatever challenges lie ahead. She holds a Master of Business Administration in Strategic Management from the University of British Columbia, a Master of Science in Pharmacology and Therapeutics from the University of British Columbia, and a Bachelor of Science in Behaviour, Cognition, and Neuroscience from the University of Windsor. The RGC are understandably delighted that she has chosen to join and lead their ranks.
A memo to shareholders reads;
“Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Sarah in her new role. We look forward to her contributions and leadership in achieving our strategic objectives and furthering our mission.”
They described her recruitment as having come about after an extensive search program, and Sarah McCarthy will take up her tenure officially on January 5th, 2025.
The challenges ahead
One of the first challenges she will face is working with her organization to reach an audience who do not self-identify as gamblers. The constant availability of gambling opportunities and gambling messages can cause significant harms that go unnoticed. This is particularly prevalent with young adults who are so desensitized to standard safe gambling messages.
The Responsible Gambling Council is launching a campaign targeting people who dismiss these safety messages and have convinced themselves that it is a skill that can be mastered with knowledge and practice.
Meet the Randoms
McCarthy joins the organization just as the new advertising campaign kicks in, introducing “The Randoms” – the personification of the unpredictability in gambling. The commercials depict these characters bringing chaos wherever they pop up: tripping a star player, slowing an athlete down with an injury or stopping a slot machine just sky of a win. The intention is to remind players that randomness is always in play in gambling and that bad luck is never far away,
The campaign was created in partnership with Zulu Alpha Kilo to challenge young adults to rethink their assumptions about gambling.
Jenny Glover, Chief Creative Officer of the agency, explains,
“This demographic is tough to reach. Gambling brands heavily promote the fun and excitement of betting, making it easy for our message to be dismissed as a buzzkill. With randomness, we found a playful yet impactful way to encourage them to recognize the inherent risks in gambling and reconsider their behaviours.
Over the coming months, the Responsible Gambling Council plans to expand its reach with targeted paid media and organic social campaigns. It will be interesting to see what additional influence McCarthy will bring to the table.
