This week, Ontario’s leading horse racing operator Woodbine Entertainment announced that it had already found a replacement for its outgoing CEO, Jim Lawson. 바카라사이트 Michael Copeland will take over after the group’s long-term employee leaves in the fall of 2023. Currently, he operates as the company’s Chief Commercial Officer.
Woodbine Entertainment is a prominent operator of purebred and standard breed tracks in North America. The company manages two famous racetracks: Woodbine Racecourse and Woodbine Mohawk Park. Last year, the company achieved incredible success with total betting revenue exceeding $1 billion through a combination of physical and online platforms. Copeland is now tasked with leading the group forward.
At a recent meeting, the board of horse racing operators unanimously voted in favor of promoting Mr Copeland to the next CEO. He will take over the position that will take effect on October 1, 2023. Meanwhile, the current CEO, Mr. Lawson, will remain at the company but will be chairman of the operator’s board.
In the company’s statement, Mr. Lawson noted that while the search for his successor was fairly thorough, the board continued to return to Mr. Copeland, which was understandable. The current CEO praised his successor for having everything he needs to continue the group’s growth trajectory as a prominent senior sports executive and business leader in the horse racing industry.
After serving as chairman/CEO of CFL and Toronto Argonauts, Mr Copeland joined the operator in 2021 and started a consulting business on growth and transition issues in the sports and entertainment sectors. The new CEO holds a law degree from Western Ontario University and an MBA from Western’s Ivy School of Business.
In addition to the announcement by the next CEO, the group reported that industry executive Bill Ford will become Chief Racing Officer as well as general advisor to the horse racing operator. Mr. Ford has previously been part of the organization as an executive since 2011, after serving as general advisor and secretary at Magna Entertainment from 2003 to 2010.
A week ago Woodbine Entertainment also announced that it had added popular swinger/omni bets to its Woodbine racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park betting menus. The new vertical model debuted on June 1, 2023. This option requires riders to select two of the top three in the race. Betting starts at $1 and takeout is 18%.
In addition, the operator is working to implement sports betting on horse racing in Ontario’s personal sportsbook app. This was a very desired change as players in this area now have limited options. HPIbet and Dark Horse Betts are two platforms available for online betting, with operators aiming to have a new vertical in their sportsbooks by the end of the year.