Canadian land-based casino operator Gateway Casinos & Entertainment has announced that CEO and director Tony Santo has died.
Gateway said Santo passed away unexpectedly on 17 August. The operator did not release any further details at this time.
Santo took on the role of CEO at Gateway in October 2013 and also became a director in July 2017. He had announced his intention to retire at the end of 2019 but agreed to stay on to help the business during the pandemic.
During his time as CEO, Santo oversaw a significant expansion of Gateway’s network. This included the acquisition of properties from Playtime Gaming in 2015 and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation in the following year.
As a result of these initiatives, Gateway’s network now features 29 gaming properties across British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.
Prior to joining Gateway, Santo held a number of other roles within the gambling industry. These executive positions included with Las Vegas Strip properties such as Ba..