The deal is over the line

Since legalizing single-event sports betting earlier this year, Canada has become a focal point in the expansion plans of multiple sportsbook companies. Australia-based operator PointsBet is no exception, and it has now partnered with one of the nation’s favorite sports franchises.

PointsBet Canada, the firm’s Canadian division, announced a new partnership with Curling Canada on Wednesday this week. The operator took to Twitter to declare itself official and exclusive sports betting partner of the curling organization:

Commenting on LinkedIn later that day, PointsBet Canada chief commercial officer Nic Sulsky said the partnership was high on his list of priorities as soon as he joined the company in June. “Literally minutes after agreeing to join PointsBet, I made my first official phone call as a Canadian operator,” he explained. “That phone call was to Katherine Henderson, the dynamic CEO of Curling Canada.”

A beneficial partnership for all

As official sports betting partner of Curling Canada, Pointsbet will act as title sponsor of Season of Champions events starting in the 2022-23 season. The long-term partnership comes into effect immediately and, according to a statement released on Wednesday, will allow PointsBet Canada to utilize official event marks in its marketing.

agreements with the NHL, NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and the PGA Tour

Explaining her reasons for choosing PointsBet, Katherine Henderson noted the operator’s impressive track record of partnering “highly regarded” sports franchises. In the US, the operator has agreements with the NHL, NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and the PGA Tour. This is in addition to individual teams, such as the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and NBA’s Denver Nuggets.

Meanwhile, PointsBet CEO Scott Vanderwel stressed the importance of partnering with sports organizations “deeply rooted” in Canada’s national identity. He said the agreement would help support “community-based sports” while also offering “unprecedented” experiences to the fans of Canadian curling.

PointsBet’s Canadian plans

The Canadian Senate passed bill C-218 in June this year, legalizing single-event sports wagering in the country. Prior to that point, Canadian sports bettors had to place parlay wagers with at least three events in one bet. In allowing its citizens to wager on single sporting events, Canada lawmakers opened the door to a multibillion-dollar industry – and one that many operators want a piece of.

launch in the province of Ontario in the first quarter of 2022

PointsBet expects Ontario, which is home to 15 million people, to go live with an open licensing system first, followed by Alberta in 2022 with its population of 4.4 million. Both regions already have government-run single-event sports betting options operated through their respective gaming regulators. PointsBet hopes to launch in the province of Ontario in the first quarter of 2022.

In anticipation of its Canadian launch, PointsBet Canada signed a multi-year deal with The Nation Network in September. The Alberta-based company offers a number of sports websites, including the popular site Daily Faceoff. The Nation Network has around five million monthly users in total, with 1.5 of these on Daily Faceoff.