PROFILE
Don has over 25 years of experience in the gaming sector, primarily in executive positions, including casinos, charitable gaming, lottery, internet gaming, and horse racing. He was previously General Counsel for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, where he was also Deputy Registrar, and counsel for the Ontario Racing Commission and its Executive Director. Don was the architect of the AGCO’s shift to a risk-based approach to regulation and the modernization of the liquor licensing regulatory structure and the Gaming Control Act and its regulation, the development of the Registrar’s Standards and Requirements, the Registrar’s eligibility assessment process for applicants for registration or licensing, and the AGCO’s regulatory assurance program. He is Co-Director of the Osgoode Professional Development’s Certificate in Gaming Law, and the author of several legal texts, including The Law of Charitable and Casino Gaming and numerous articles. He is the recipient of several awards, including the Canadian Gaming Association’s Industry Leadership and Outstanding Contribution.
Industry Groups
Education:
- Called to the Ontario Bar, 1984
- LL.B., Osgoode Hall Law School, 1981
- B.A., Wilfrid Laurier University, 1978
Publications:
- Liquor Laws of Canada, (with Craig Slater), LexisNexis Canada, scheduled for late 2018
- Halsbury’s Laws of Canada – Charities, Associations and Not-for-Profit Organizations, LexisNexis Canada second edition scheduled for 2018, reissue (2013), first edition (2008)
- Halsbury’s Laws of Canada – Liquor Control, LexisNexis Canada reissue scheduled for 2017
- “The Role of the Lawyer in Enterprise Risk Management and Risk Assessments”, Canadian Gaming Lawyer Magazine (Summer, 2015)
- Guide to the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010, Lexis Nexis Canada (2017 expected publication date)
- Election Law of Canada, Lexis Nexis Canada (April 2015)
- The Law of Charitable and Not-for-Profit Organizations, LexisNexis Canada, fifth edition (2016), fourth edition (2012), third edition (2002), second edition (1995) and first edition (1990).
- The Law of Charitable and Casino Gaming, Butterworths Canada, 1999
- Charities and Not-for-Profit Administration and Governance Handbook, Butterworths Canada, second edition (2009) and first edition (2001)
- Charities and Not-for-Profit Fundraising Handbook, Butterworths Canada, second edition (2006) and first edition (2000)
- “A Role for the Private Sector Lawyer in the Policy-Making Process”, Chapter 14, Public Law, Bar Admission Course, Law Society of Upper Canada
- Public Law in Canada, Nelson Canada, 1990
- The Six Nations Indian Land Claim to the Bed of the Grand River, Historical Research Report Series, Report No. 1, Ministry of Natural Resources, 1986
- “The Role of the Historian in the Litigation Process”, Canadian Historical Review, June 1986
- Review of Our Children Are Our Future in Canadian Journal of Native Studies, 1983
- Numerous articles for trade publications, newsletters and conferences
Professional and Community Activities:
- Co-Director, The Osgoode Certificate in Gaming Law, Osgoode Hall Law School, Professional Development Program
- President, Createscape Waterloo Region
- Trustee, Agora Foundation
- Director, Canadian International Development Organization
Awards and Recognition:
- Mayor’s City Builder Award (2016) – City of Kitchener
- Industry Leadership and Outstanding Contribution (2014) – Canadian Gaming Association
- The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)
- AMS/John Hodgson Award (2008) – Canadian Bar Association, Charitable and Not-for-Profit Law
- The Amethyst Award (2008) – Ontario Public Service
- Kitchener-Waterloo Arts Award (2000)
