Rivalry welcomes former Ontario Lottery executive as board member

Toronto-based esports betting platform Rivalry has announced that Stephen Rigby, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s former President and CEO, will join its board of directors.

Rigby’s appointment, which is slated to be approved at the company’s next shareholder meeting, is said to represent ‘a critical step in Rivalry’s journey to becoming a global player in regulated online sports betting,’ according to a release.

Photo credit: Chris Roussakis/ National Post

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Rigby spent five years as the President and CEO of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation where he was responsible for the operation and transformation of Canada’s largest provincial gaming company. He was also previously Canada Border Services Agency’s President and held the Deputy Ministerial position of National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada.

Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO of Rivalry, commented on the company’s newfound board member: “I’m thrilled that Stephen Rigby has agreed to join our board of directors. He has remarkable experience leading the largest regulated gaming business in Canada and will be an invaluable member of our organisation as gaming regulations continue to evolve here in Canada and around the world.

“His decision to join Rivalry at this time marks an important inflection point in our business. Stephen brings significant strategic and operational experience that we are confident will help further execute on our vision to provide the safest and most engaging sports betting and sports media experience in the world for a new demographic coming into the fold of sports betting.”

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Since founding in 2018, Rivalry has become a well-known brand in the esports betting sector. The sportsbook has inked several notable partnerships with teams, such as Fnatic, beastcoast, and FURIA, as well as numerous content creators.

Just last month, Rivalry announced a $20m funding round to scale its operations and country licensing programme. The company also announced its intention to pursue an initial public offering, anticipated to be completed later this year, and would join the likes of Luckbox and Esports Entertainment Group as publicly-traded esports betting companies.

On his appointment, Rigby added: “I’m very excited to be joining the board of such a dynamic homegrown international player in the sports betting industry. Rivalry’s integrated media and betting strategy is forward-looking, and gets me inspired about the opportunity ahead not just for Rivalry, but the industry as a whole. I am thrilled to collaborate with such a motivated and hands-on team.”

Esports Insider says: Rigby appears to be a strong candidate for Rivalry’s board and representative of the momentum the company has demonstrated in recent times. Rivalry has taken on an admirable role as a betting brand able to successfully tap into the culture and excitement of esports through its media division, which, is likely to pave the runway for its continued market leadership in this area of the industry.

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