Ontario’s AGCO Appoints Two Senior Lawyers to Strengthen Regulatory Board
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has named Arlene O’Neill and Carolyn Stamegna to its board, effective October 30, 2025.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The appointments strengthen the regulator’s bench with senior legal practitioners who bring corporate governance, technology and media expertise to the oversight of Ontario’s alcohol and gaming sectors. The AGCO, which supervises licensed gaming, liquor and cannabis retail activity in the province, said the new board members will help guide policy and regulatory priorities as the market continues to evolve.
About the Appointees
Arlene O’Neill joins the AGCO board from Gardiner Roberts LLP, where she is a partner, a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and co-chair of its corporate advisory practice. O’Neill has more than two decades of experience advising on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and technology-related matters for domestic and international clients. She has also acted as counsel to not-for-profit and charitable boards and regularly leads professional education programs for groups including the Ontario Bar Association and the Canadian Bar Association.
Carolyn Stamegna is a partner in Goodmans LLP’s business law group with a practice concentrated on film, television, media and technology transactions. Stamegna represents financial institutions, studios, investors and content creators on domestic and cross-border deals, outsourcing arrangements and intellectual property matters. Her peers and industry directories have repeatedly recognized her as a leading entertainment and media lawyer in Canada.
Both appointees hold the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and completed the Directors Education Program at the Rotman School of Management – credentials the AGCO flagged as supporting stronger board oversight. The appointments are effective October 30, 2025, and locate two senior legal voices within a regulator that has grappled with rapid technological change in the gaming and hospitality industries.
Commenting on the appointments, the AGCO chair said: "We sought board members with proven governance experience and deep sector knowledge. Ms. O’Neill’s track record in corporate law and Ms. Stamegna’s experience at the intersection of media, technology and finance will add valuable perspective as we continue to modernize regulatory approaches to online gaming, digital content distribution and consumer protection. We welcome their leadership at a pivotal moment for the province’s regulated sectors."
O’Neill offered her own view on joining the regulator: "I am honoured to serve on the AGCO board. Strong governance and thoughtful engagement with stakeholders are essential as regulators and industry adapt to new technologies and business models. I look forward to supporting evidence-based policy decisions that balance innovation with consumer safeguards."
Stamegna also emphasised the connection between media rights, technology and regulation: "As content and distribution models evolve, regulatory frameworks must keep pace. My focus will be helping the board understand commercial realities facing content creators, platforms and financial backers so that the AGCO can make pragmatic, forward-looking decisions."
Related: Ontario Sets New Online Gambling Record Despite Revenue Decline
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Regulatory and Sector Impact
The AGCO’s decision to appoint two lawyers with complementary skill sets reflects broader pressures on provincial regulators. Since Ontario opened its regulated online gaming market to private operators, regulators have faced an accelerated pace of innovation – from player account technologies to increasingly sophisticated advertising and partnership models. Those changes raise persistent issues around consumer protection, anti-money laundering safeguards and the appropriate regulatory treatment of emerging products.
Industry watchers say the new board members’ combined expertise in corporate governance, technology-driven transactions and media commercialisation should aid AGCO’s engagement with operators and technology providers. Their backgrounds also mean the board will have direct access to insights on contractual structures, intellectual property and complex commercial transactions that increasingly underpin digital gaming and entertainment partnerships.
For stakeholders – including operators, advocacy groups and municipal partners – the appointments signal the regulator’s intent to tighten oversight while supporting workable rules for innovation. As the AGCO moves forward, attention will focus on how the board’s composition influences rule-making, enforcement priorities and collaboration with federal bodies and other provincial regulators.
Additional detail: both appointees are Toronto-based legal partners active in professional education and board work. Their ICD.D credentials and Rotman Directors Education Program completion are common qualifications for board service among Canadian regulators and publicly traded companies, and reflect the AGCO’s emphasis on governance experience in new board selections.
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