PointsBet & Redblacks Partner Before Ontario Launch
Details of The Deal
Just a few days before Ontario is set to launch their regulated iGaming and sports betting market in the province, PointsBet inked a deal with the Ottawa Redblacks. PointsBet is one of over a dozen commercial operators approved for operation in the province upon its launch on April 4.
The deal makes PointsBet the official betting partner of the Ottawa Redblacks, who are a part of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Their home venue, TD Place Stadium will open a TD Place PointsBet Sideline Club on the field level of their stadium for Redblacks fans to get close to the action. The agreement also includes rights to a PointsBet jersey patch on the Redblacks uniform. As of now, the deal does not include betting kiosks at TD Place, though that could come in the future as we’ve seen with other similar partnerships of this nature.
“It is hard to imagine anything more Canadian than the Canadian Football League (CFL) in Ottawa,” said Scott Vanderwel, Chief Executive Officer of PointsBet Canada. “We are excited to be working with one of the premier franchises in the CFL and can’t wait to bring a new, unrivaled form of entertainment to Redblacks fans.”
While PointsBet has agreed to terms with this CFL team, the entire CFL already has a partnership in place with BetRegal. However, PointsBet will be the only official betting partner of the Redblacks, despite BetRegal’s attempt to secure an iGaming license in Ontario, which they currently do not have.
Ontario Sports Betting Market:
Ontario is an extremely lucrative market that finally got the final go ahead in August of 2021. In February, PointsBet was approved for operation by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, among approval of several other operators. Some of the other big operators that will begin operating on April 4 are BetMGM, BetRivers, FanDuel, and bet365. Other big names like Caesar’s and DraftKings are likely to follow suit.
Until April 4, the only way to place legal sports wagers in Ontario is through the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s retail locations or through its online lottery, Proline Plus. After April 4, Canadians will be able to bet on their favorite Ontario sports teams from their home. Such teams include the Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Raptors, and of course, Ottawa Redblacks.
PointsBet’s Other Ventures:
PointsBet is an Australian-based operator but has expanded heavily into North America, where its U.S. operations are headquartered in Colorado. In the U.S. alone, it is currently available in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia, with more to come. They have also created a PointsBet Canada sector which is spearheaded from Toronto.
But PointsBet’s Canadian outreach goes beyond this partnership. They also have partnerships with Alpine Canada, Curling Canada, NHL Alumni Association, The Nation Network, as well as an ambassador partnership with the Trailer Park Boys.
They are also partnered with the NBA as an official sports betting partner and as of late 2021 became the official sports betting partner of NBC Sports.