A year after originally inking a sponsorship deal with the professional women’s curling team Team Einarson, PointsBet is signing up for another season on the ice.
The three-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts winning team consists of Skip Kerri Einarson, Lead Briane Harris, Second Shannon Birchard, and Third Val Sweeting. The Scotties are essentially the national curling championships for Canadian women. The winners go on to represent Canada at the world curling championships. This year, Team Einarson was the home team at the Prince George event and took the bronze medal. In addition to the team serving as the reigning Scotties Tournament winner, Einarson is also the reigning Sandra Schmirler Most Valuable Player award.
PointsBet Canada’s strong curling ties strengthen
“We are thrilled to be partnering again with Team Einarson this year,” said Nic Sulsky, Chief Commercial Officer at PointsBet Canada. “From day one, the PointsBet Canada team has supported the sports and teams that are synonymous with Canada’s identity. And nobody embodies the maple leaf more than Kerri, Briane, Shannon, and Val.”
“We are excited to be partnering with PointsBet Canada again this year,” said Einarson. “PointsBet Canada is not only committed to bringing a renewed excitement to the game but also growing curling to be a more diverse and inclusive sport.”
Einarson is correct that PointsBet’s interest in curling extends beyond the single team. PointsBet Canada also serves as the official sports betting partner of Curling Canada. The brand also hosts the PointsBet Invitational event, which will take place later this month in New Brunswick.
“From our partnership with Curling Canada to the upcoming PointsBet Invitational, we want to help grow the game of curling by connecting the nation’s fans in new and innovative ways,” said Scott Vanderwel, CEO of PointsBet Canada. “As one of the few Canadian-based companies, we take our role in growing our country’s sports landscape seriously.”
Women’s teams still lacking sports betting deals
In addition to supporting the Canadian pastime, PointsBet remains one of the only major operators to have a deal with a professional women’s sports team. Bally Bet works with the Phoenix Mercury, which gives them access to the Arizona market, but none of the other teams in the league have such a deal. However, many operators, including PointsBet, have partnered with the WNBA as a league.
Unexpected sports betting partnerships and home-field advantage should help PointsBet build market share in Canada. Given the broad scope and lack of operator or even information on sports betting specifically provided by iGaming Ontario’s first revenue report, it is difficult for the public to tell just how effective this strategy has been.