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Howard Bogach: From Rupertsland to Richview
By GERRY POSNER From Rupertsland Avenue in Winnipeg in 1953 to Richview Avenue in Toronto in 2023, some 70 years later… that is the quick story of Howard Bogach. But in those 70 years, there is so much in between.
The only child of Frank and Anne (formerly Snyder), Howard grew up in a family that was for a long time in the sunflower seed business, in a company called Tasty Seeds. The business had been started by Howard’s grandfather and his three sons: Abe, Maurice and Frank.
Howard was a graduate of the Talmud Torah, Jefferson Junior High, Garden City Collegiate and later the University of Manitoba, where he finished with both a Bachelor of Arts in 1975 and a B.Comm (Hons).
In 1977, at the age of 24, Howard took the first step in his career when he moved to Calgary. He began at the Bay in various positions from 1977- 1980, then moved on to Touche Ross, also in Calgary, for five years, where he was a senior consultant and a supervisor regarding insolvency.
In 1985, he moved into the credit union world and that was a move that proved especially significant. Howard became the Vice President of Human Resources and Administration for the Credit Union Deposit Guarantee Corporation in Alberta. He remained with that organization for seven years before joining Capital City Savings in Edmonton. Capital City was at that time Alberta’s largest credit union.
Howard helped Capital grow even bigger before he left in June of 1994 to take on an even larger job with Metro Credit Union in Toronto. It was here that Howard really emerged as a major force in the credit union world and indeed beyond. He became the President and CEO of Metro which, at that time, was the largest credit union in the GTA (Greater Toronto area), with over 44, 000 members, 250 employees and assets of over $600 million which, back then, was a large chunk of change (even now I could handle it). Howard steered Metro for over 10 years, growing and initiating new programmes and introducing services like Internet banking. Not bad for a West Kildonan product – not bad at all. (Ed. note: Just because you’re from the south end, Gerry, doesn’t mean WK was another Chelm.)
In June 2004, and for almost the next four years, Howard became the President and CEO of Credit Union Central of Ontario (CUCO). That institution had no less than 125 employees and was a $2.2 billion wholesale financial services provider. It also acted as the industry trade association, supporting over 160 member organizations. In 2008, it merged with the BC version. All of this occurred during Howard’s tenure.
In March of 2008, Bogach took a decisive step, deciding to leave the credit union movement and become the President and CEO of Tarion Warranty Corporation. This was and is a private company established to protect the rights of new home owners, as well as regulate builders. The company administers the Ontario New Home Warranty Plan Act, which provides protection to the thousands of new home purchasers in Ontario.
Among the many achievements that occurred during Howard’s presidency was the introduction of a New Home Buyer Ombudsman to address issues of perception of fairness. Bogach continued in his role at Tarion until the end of 2019 when he left to form his own company, called the Howard Bogach Consulting/Richview Group. Thus, If you look at the long Howard Bogach career, you can tell that the tasty seed that his grandfather and father bega ultimately germinated into a full grown plant with lots of leaves along the way.
At the age of 70, Bogach, who is married to the former Shelley Dichter, also from Winnipeg, is the proud father of three children, all accomplished in their fields, including a son and a daughter who are both lawyers and a daughter who is a surgical oncologist in Hamilton. Howard and Shelley now have five grandchildren. Even though Howard has now been in Toronto for close to 30 years and gone from Winnipeg since 1977, he still has very strong feelings for his home town. As the oft-used cliché goes, “You can take the boy out of the north end, but you can’t take the north end out of the boy.” In fact, he is still a staunch supporter of the Blue Bombers and Jets.
Howard also serves on the Board of Home Ownership Alternatives, a non-profit organization focused on affordable housing (We could use more of that.), as well as on the Board of Stashower Slipia Congregation. Howard was also for many years a basketball coach for many years at the Bathurst JCC.
What intrigued me at first about Bogach was how random our meeting was in the first place. I chanced upon him in Toronto one Sunday morning recently on the Pickleball courts. One conversation led to another and before we knew it, we had much in common. Now, if his ability to play Pickleball takes off as much as did his career in business, Bogach has a bright future ahead of him on the court. Unfortunately, I told Howard that even though he indeed had a very successful work experience in so many ways, his Pickleball game has not quite achieved that same trajectory. But his game is only in the embryonic stage. Knowing Bogach as I now do, he will improve. Do not bet against him.
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Volatility, Hit Frequency, and RTP: Why the Number Casinos Advertise Is the Least Useful One
The return to player percentage looks clean as a casino data point. It gives players a neat number, usually around 94% to 97% for many online slots, and that number feels easy to compare. A 96.5% game appears better than a 95.2% game. The problem starts when players treat RTP as a forecast for their next 50 spins or one evening.
You may find the RTP listed on slot pages on a leading online casino in Ontario, but the number only tells part of the story. Two games can share the same RTP and create different sessions: one may return small wins often, while the other may drain a balance before one bonus round changes everything.
The RTP Trap
Return to player (RTP) measures the theoretical share of total wagers a game returns across a very large number of rounds. In plain terms, a 96% RTP slot returns about $96 for every $100 wagered in the long run. That does not mean one player who deposits $100 should expect $96 back.
The trap sits in the word “theoretical.” RTP comes from the game’s math model. It works across huge samples, not personal sessions. A player can finish far above that percentage, far below it, or with nothing left after a short run of poor results.
Is it useless then? No, RTP can still help. It gives a baseline cost of play. Lower-RTP games cost more on average than higher-RTP games. Still, once a game passes a reasonable threshold, the next question matters more: how does it distribute that return?
Hit Frequency: The Number That Shapes Session Feel
Hit frequency tells you how often a game produces a winning outcome. This often misleads players because any win can count. A spin that returns $0.10 on a $1 bet may still count as a hit, even though the player lost $0.90 in real terms.
A game can feel active because symbols connect often, sounds play, and the screen keeps celebrating small returns. The balance may still fall. In many modern slots, “win” does not always mean profit on the spin.
Hit frequency answers one practical question: how much silence can you tolerate? Some players dislike long dry spells. Others accept quieter sessions because they chase bonus rounds or larger payouts.
The educational site Get Gambling Facts gives a useful distinction: RTP concerns the percentage of money returned over time, while hit frequency concerns how often a machine stops on a winning combination.
Volatility: The Risk Label Players Need More Often
Volatility, also called variance, describes how unevenly a game pays. Low-volatility games tend to return smaller amounts more often. High-volatility games hold more value in rare events: bonus rounds, premium symbols, multipliers, or jackpots.
Here is where RTP becomes less useful on its own:
- A 96% low-volatility slot may give modest returns and longer play from the same balance.
- A 96% high-volatility slot may burn through funds quickly unless the player hits a strong feature.
- A progressive jackpot game may look exciting, but it often places more value on rare top prizes.
The same RTP can hide very different risk profiles. Players who ignore volatility often blame the casino or the game when the session follows its math design.
Why the Same RTP Can Feel So Different
Picture two slots with 96% RTP. Slot A pays small wins on many spins, has a modest top prize, and rarely creates dramatic balance swings. Slot B pays less often but offers a large max win and volatile bonus rounds. The advertised return matches, but the experience does not.
Slot A may suit a player who wants a slower bankroll drop and more regular feedback. Slot B suits someone who accepts sharper losses in exchange for a shot at a heavier payout.
A Better Way to Read a Slot Page
Most slot pages give players more clues than they notice. The trick is to read the details together rather than chase the highest percentage.
Start with RTP. If two games look similar, the higher number has better long-term value. Then check volatility. If the game uses terms such as high, very high, or extreme variance, lower your bet size or expect shorter sessions. Next, look at the paytable. A huge max win usually means the game saves a lot of its value for rare outcomes.
A sensible pre-play check looks like this:
- RTP: What is the average long-term return?
- Volatility: How rough can the session become?
- Hit frequency: How often will the game show any wins?
- Paytable: Where does most value sit?
To Conclude
Casinos advertise RTP because it looks objective, tidy, and easy to rank. Players should read it, but they should not give it more authority than it deserves. For long sessions, volatility may matter more than a small RTP difference. For comfort, hit frequency may explain the feel better than the payback rate.
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The Popularity of Simpler Slot Games in 2026: Review From Casino Online CrazyTower Experts
Online casinos now fill their libraries with numerous video slots that have dozens of functions, long bonus rounds, complex mechanics, and so on. Interestingly, despite this huge range of modern options, many Canadian visitors at sites like Casino Online CrazyTower here https://crazytower.com/ca/ no longer want complicated gameplay that requires constant attention and long explanations.
Simpler slots now attract a wider audience because they save time and create faster sessions. So, let’s figure out why this change happened and reasons for the popularity of simpler machines.
Why Many Players Are Returning to Basic Gameplay
Modern websites like Casino Online CrazyTower pushed complex video slots for years, but many people now prefer classic formats again. Simple gameplay has fewer interruptions and is simpler in terms of budgeting, which is important when you gamble for fun.
These are a few potential reasons explain why simpler slots became popular again in 2026:
- Faster rounds. Symbols appear quickly, and rounds continue without long animations or extended bonus sequences.
- Easier controls. Most classic slots have simple menus and familiar layouts that don’t confuse new visitors.
- Smaller feature lists. Simple slots usually have standard wilds, scatters, and multipliers instead of dozens of random mechanics.
- Better session flow. People spend more time on gameplay instead of reading explanations about symbols and special functions.
- Lower visual pressure. Simpler slots use calmer designs and shorter effects that don’t overload attention.
Classic gameplay also suits mobile devices better because shorter rounds work well on smaller screens. Plus, many visitors now prefer games that start instantly and explain their mechanics within seconds.
Features That Make Simpler Slots Appealing
Simple machines at Casino Online CrazyTower and similar websites continue to attract attention because they have a high gameplay speed. Many classic titles also replicate older casino machines that people already know from physical casinos.
However, these aren’t the only factors that attract gamblers. So, check out this list:
- Short bonus rounds. Free spins and multipliers finish quickly instead of interrupting gameplay for several minutes.
- Common and standard paylines. Traditional layouts help people understand payouts without long explanations.
- Faster loading times. Simpler graphics reduce waiting time on phones, tablets, and older computers.
- Stable gameplay pace. Long cutscenes and constant pop-up notifications don’t interrupt the session.
- Traditional themes. Fruit symbols, bars, sevens, and classic casino designs still attract large audiences.
- Smaller menus. Important information appears immediately without complicated tabs or hidden sections.
Modern video slots often contain too many mechanics in a single game. Developers now combine expanding reels, random modifiers, mission systems, tournaments, and multiple bonus levels in one title. Many visitors lose interest because gameplay turns repetitive and overloaded with constant interruptions.
Compare this to a session when you get results immediately and aren’t interrupted. These still have free spins and even mini risk games, but not as loaded as innovative titles.
Conclusion
Simple slots usually create better replay value because people understand the mechanics immediately. Common and standard gameplay doesn’t cause frustration and allows faster decisions during casino sessions.
Many classic slots also function better during short breaks because rounds finish quickly without long bonus interruptions. That’s why simpler slots became popular again at many casinos, including Casino Online CrazyTower and such.
