You would think that it’s only a matter of time before registered sportsbooks start aligning themselves with CFL teams, so Thursday’s PointsBet Canada and Ottawa Redblacks partnership announcement comes as no real surprise.
The Redblacks, PointsBet Canada and TD Place have entered into a multi-year agreement where Pointsbet Canada becomes the official sportsbook of the CFL team and its home facility.
Look for PointsBet Canada logos on all Redblacks jerseys, as well as throughout TD Place, according to a news release. The sportsbook also becomes the new presenting sponsor of the PointsBet Sideline Club at TD Place, which is at field level.
“It is hard to imagine anything more Canadian than the Canadian Football League in Ottawa,” Scott Vanderwel, chief executive officer of PointsBet Canada, said in a statement. “We are excited to be working with one of the premier franchises in the CFL and can’t wait to bring a new, unrivalled form of entertainment to Redblacks fans.”
Added Nic Sulsky, chief commercial officer for PointsBet Canada: “PointsBet Canada is committed to building an identity that acknowledges the little intricacies that make us all proud to be Canadian."
"Nothing says Canadian like three downs, a 55-yard line and the rouge. We are excited to add a little bit more red and black to RNation for years to come!”
PointsBet Canada Ready for Ontario
PointsBet, founded in Australia, is aggressively targeting the Ontario sports betting market. It was among the first to announce (Feb. 3) that it was regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) to legally run a sportsbook in the province.
The full, regulated Ontario sports betting market is scheduled to launch on April 4.
PointsBet already has sponsorship deals with the NHL Alumni Association, Alpine Canada and Curling Canada.
BetRegal already has a multi-year deal with the CFL, announced last August, to be the official sportsbook of the league, and the company had a real presence at last fall’s Grey Cup in Hamilton. Thursday’s PointsBet deal is the first of what likely will be a series of team-by-team sponsorship deals, new sources of much-needed revenue for individual organizations.
CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie has been one of the most active supporters of legal single game sports betting in Canada, compared with other pro sports leagues.
Redblacks Open Season on June 10
Ottawa will play two preseason games — May 27 and June 3 — before traveling to Winnipeg to open its 2022 CFL regular season on June 10 (a Friday) against the Blue Bombers, the two-time defending Grey Cup champions.
The Redblacks will open their home schedule at TD Place on June 17 (another Friday), also against the Blue Bombers.
Ottawa finished the 2021 season with a 3-11 record, last in the East Division.
