PointsBet Adds Former Rogers SVP As CEO For Canada Sports Betting


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Canada sports betting

PointsBet is adding a former Rogers Communications senior vice president to its Canada sports betting operation.

Scott Vanderwel will be CEO of PointsBet Canada, the Australian-based company announced Wednesday. Vanderwel will start August 17 and report to PointsBet Global CEO Sam Swanell.

“We’re thrilled that Scott has agreed to serve as the first CEO of PointsBet Canada and help us build a team and a business strategy that can serve the new Canadian market,” Swanell said in a release. “PointsBet is committed to creating products that fit the consumer’s needs, satisfy the important and necessary requirements of regulators, and enable fans to engage with their favorite sports in new and exciting ways.”

It is the latest in a flurry of moves for PointsBet, which announced Tuesday a market access deal in Arizona. On Monday, the company added Aaron O’Sullivan as vice president of online casino revenue in North America.

Canadian experience

In his SVP role at Rogers Communication, Vanderwel worked on corporate strategy, operational improvement, and digital operations.

Prior to Rogers, Vanderwel led the Canadian division of the strategy consultancy Monitor Group. He is also the chair of the Ivey Alumni Network Board.

“I’m excited to take my decades of corporate experience and apply it to building an elite organization ready to serve customers and help responsibly jump-start a brand-new industry in Canada,” Vanderwel said. “We’re going to build a modern, responsible, distinctly Canadian operation.”

Growing PointsBet Canada sports betting operation

Vanderwel joins two other PointsBet Canada executives:

In a recent Q&A with LSR, Sulsky emphasized PointsBet’s hope to hire local talent in Canada. He also said PointsBet USA helps provide a blueprint for growth in the North.

When will sports betting launch in Canada?

On June 22, the Senate of Canada approved C-218 to amend the Canadian Criminal Code. The small amendment changes a line in the code to allow single-event sports wagering in Canada.

The bill received Royal Assent June 30, and is awaiting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to set an effective date for Canadian sports betting. Provinces will regulate the industry, similar to how US sports betting regulations are set at the state level.

Many of the provincial lotteries, which already offer parlay betting, will be ready to launch immediately. While the most-prized province, Ontario, is planning a “competitive and regulated market,” it is still largely unknown which provinces commercial companies, like PointsBet, can operate.