For the past twelve years, the Canadian Gaming Awards Reception and Charity Gala has honored achievements in industry leadership. Industry colleagues have an opportunity to meet and mingle while celebrating the impressive achievements of their peers.

The distinguished award categories at this year ’s ceremony include awards for Industry Leadership and Outstanding Contribution and awards for exemplary Volunteerism and Community Service by an individual or an organization. Co-sponsored by the Canadian Gaming Association and the International Masters of Gaming Law, the award winners serve as inspirations to industry professionals.

Nominations from many aspects of the gaming industry are welcomed each year. Both public and private sectors can be recognized, First Nations and charitable gaming volunteers, operators, suppliers or advisors can also be put forward to the awards committee.

This year, Lynne Roiter Loto- Quebec’s Corporate Secretary and Vice President of Legal Affairs, Bruce Caughill, Vice President of Legal Administration, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary, Fallsview Management Group L.P. and Elliot Daradich, Director of Product Development at the Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation will be recognized for their long-term contributions to the gaming industry.

As examples of outstanding leaders who have made significant contributions in their areas of expertise, they each deserve to be commemorated for their efforts. Celebrating all aspects of the business, this year’s winners have each made a difference through their commitment to the industry. Whether it be implementing operational policies, effective management and organizational systems, regulatory and legal policy development, educational outreach, enhancing entertainment benefits or simply providing extraordinary service, honoring industry peers motivates others to make an impact in their own unique way.

Bruce Caughill is honored for Industry Leadership and Outstanding Contribution to the Canadian Gaming Industry

Bruce Caughill, Vice President of Legal and Administration at Niagara Casinos, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary of Falls Management Group L.P., the consortium of numerous international corporations that operates the Niagara Casinos including Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara, is recognized by industry peers with an award for outstanding leadership and contribution in his field.

Art Frank, President, Niagara Casinos, says, "Bruce has been a tremendous asset to our Executive team. His commitment to Niagara Casinos and his commitment to his community make him an instant leader. It is great to see Bruce recognized."

When hearing that he had been awarded such an honor, Caughill’s immediate reaction was one of surprise. "When Bill Rutsey called me I thought it was in regard to the Cares Foundation being nominated in another awards category," he confesses.

Armed with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen’s University, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Ontario and Master of Laws from the University of Edinburgh, he was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in the early 1990s. Practicing commercial regulatory law in both Toronto and Ottawa, he moved west to the Niagara region to join the Niagara Casinos in 1999.

Clare Copeland, CEO of Falls Management Company, recognizes Caughill’s achievements in the industry. He says, "Bruce has been a leader in all legal aspects of Ontario Casinos. Well respected among his peers in the industry, [he] has kept abreast of worldwide trends through attendance at seminars and conferences. Called on by other facilities for his knowledge and insight, [he is a] key part of both FMC and Fallsview Management teams."

Not only is Bruce Caughill responsible for the legal and compliance aspects of Niagara Casinos, he is also accountable for and oversees the Casinos’ security, health and safety, risk management and communications portfolios. He remarks on his own experience as having "had the benefit of coming into the industry in its infancy, and now, 10 years later, every aspect of the business has evolved. I believe it signifies the maturation of the gaming industry."

As a board member on the Board of Trustees for the Niagara Health System, he is also involved in the allocations committee for the Cares Foundation that was recognized by a Canadian Gaming Industry Award for Volunteerism and Community Service this year. The Cares Foundation of Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara offers philanthropic support and community assistance. Giving back to the community in the area of $1 million dollars every year, local charities in the areas of healthcare, education, arts, culture and heritage reap the much-needed benefits.

Caughill is an affiliated member of the International Masters of Gaming Law and has also published a collection of letters penned by his grandfather about his experience as a soldier during World War One. The book is called Letters to Janet: The Reconstructed Great War Experience of James Irenus Adams, 26th and 104th New Brunswick Battalions.

As an active and esteemed member of the gaming industry and a man committed to others, Caughill advises future industry leaders to diversify and "get involved in as much as you can whether it's in your job description or not. Often, that is where leadership opportunities present themselves."

Bruce Caughill is an example of how connecting with other sectors and peers within the gaming industry can lead a person in a varied and interesting career. The award honors Caughill’s level of excellence and dedication, and serves to encourage others to strive for their best at all times.

Elliot Daradich is honored with The Canadian Gaming Industry Award for Industry Leadership and Outstanding Contribution

"I was in the right place, at the right time," is what Elliot Daradich says when he talks about the evolution of his career in the gaming industry. A constant with the Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation since 1995, he confesses to getting into the business quite by accident. "My mother-in-law saw an ad for a slot mechanic and thought I’d be good at the job," he says. The rest, as they say, is history.

With his grassroots experience as a Casino Technician, Daradich claims, "it was trial by fire," As a Casino Technician, he was part of the team that was responsible for installing 500 of the first coin operated slots at Buffalo Buck, a charity casino in Saskatchewan. Giving credit to his electronics background, he was promoted in two short years to Technical Service Manager and two years after that, to Manager of Slot Development. Today, as Director of Product Development, he is responsible for all slot products and electronic table games and looks after gaming promotions and systems. Always on the cutting edge of the industry, he is constantly thinking about how to create the best entertainment experience for guests. Regularly reviewing how games are configured on the floor and developing promotions to increase gaming and customer satisfaction, he is also keenly interested in how to bring emerging gaming technologies to the casinos in Regina and Moose Jaw

Some of Elliot Daradich’s other impressive achievements include leading the Ticket In/ Ticket Out system on slot machines, creating and installing tracking tools, player redemption kiosks for Club members, electronic coupons and promotional programs. At all times, he ensures the staff is well versed in all aspects and makes sure that any enhancements to the slots are as seamless as possible.

Always interested in customer feedback, he can, at times, be found doing market research with guests at Casino Regina, where his office is located. "Gaming is a dynamic industry and the only constant is change," he notes. "I really enjoy the hands-on approach in my job and the tangible results I see from product development," he adds. Noting that one of the best parts of his job is the people he has met across the country who share a similar passion for the gaming industry, he encourages others in gaming to ask questions and always be open to learning. When the President and Vice President informed him of the award he recalls being "at a complete loss for words. I’ve been to the Gaming Summit and every Awards gala for the past 13 years and always imagined being a recipient," he admits. This time, he’ll be one of the few honoured in front of the colleagues and industry peers who have nurtured him in his career and trusted his insights and expertise that have led him to where he is today. The award and recognition is richly deserved.

Lynne Roiter is honored for Outstanding Leadership and Contribution Award from the Canadian Gaming Industry

With a varied background spanning appointments in both Québec City and Montreal, Lynne Roiter has been a pillar of the legal gaming structure in Québec and around the world. A graduate of the University of Laval’s Faculty of Law, Roiter has contributed to building the infrastructure of organizations for growing enterprises for over three decades.

A member of the Québec Bar since 1972, Roiter spent many years in private practice and as Corporate Secretary and Director Legal Services for the Québec Automobile Insurance Board. She joined Loto-Québec in 1985 as the Director of Legal Services and has seen the position evolve over time. Now serving as the organization’s Corporate Secretary and Vice President of Legal Affairs, she recalls, "when I started to work for Loto-Québec, the mandate was traditional lotteries and we were just moving into sports lotteries. My position has changed and diversified as the lottery business has," she remarks, "Loto-Québec is like a full-service law firm and there is always a new challenge," she adds.

Loto-Québec has grown to over 7,000 employees in a relatively short time frame. "Corporate structures needed to reflect the growth of the lottery business. It is a multi-faceted, multi-tiered industry which presents great legal challenges," she adds. She has played an instrumental role in establishing the legal and regulatory framework that has permitted Loto-Québec to expand its gaming activities from lotteries to lottery videos, casinos, resort hotels and satellite bingo.

As a Board of Directors on all of Loto-Québec's subsidiaries, Roiter was named Secretary General and Vice-President, Legal Group in 1996. In this capacity she is responsible for the internal audit team and Loto-Québec’s Responsible Gaming division. She is also a member of the corporation's managing committee. She sits on the board of the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation and was the Chairman of the Corporation from 1999 to 2001. Roiter also served as the Secretary General of the International Association of State Lotteries (AILE) and with the creation of the World Lottery Association (WLA), assumed the position of Secretary General of Legal Affairs. The WLA is comprised of lottery corporations from some 76 different countries around the world.

An avid skier, kayaker and devoted grandmother in her spare time, Lynne Roiter is humbled by her recognition by the gaming industry. As a recipient of the award for outstanding leadership and contribution, she reflects on the industry in which she has spent her lifetime as "one of dreams. It’s a great environment to work in with many challenges and wonderful people across Canada and the world."