PointsBet CEO, Scott Vanderwel, noted that his company is ready for the competition within the newly deregulated sports betting market.
Scott Vanderwel, the chief executive officer of PointsBet Canada, remains optimistic about his company’s chances of success within Canada’s freshly deregulated sports betting market segment. The CEO noted that his company is well-positioned and prepared to face the challenge from direct competitors, such as theScore.
Vanderwel has plenty of experience, having served previously in PointsBet’s strategy office and collaborated with Rogers Media head, Keith Pelley. Vanderwel helped the company acquire broadcasting rights for NHL games in Canada in an impressive CA$5,2 billion deal. Vanderwel will now put his expertise into the competitive sports-bets market of Canada.
Ready for the Competition
PointsBet Canada is prepped for the single-sports betting market in Canada and Ontario’s open online gambling market for private operators. Besides Vanderwel, PointsBet has also appointed a gaming veteran, Nic Sulsky, and Dale Fallon, a digital product director at Rogers’ Sportsnet.
Macquarie analyst, Chad Beynon, believes that theScore might have a tough time establishing itself on the local market due to fierce competition from big-name operators in Ontario. The province is the first to launch an open market for industry operators, starting this December. It is expected that other provinces will follow suit.
Vanderwel said that theScore is a great media company, which is now learning to function as a top sports company too. However, he stated that he believes in his company product and is willing to go head-to-head. Vanderwel explained that, as with most markets, there would be a few companies with established recognition, and PointsBet is one of them.
When asked if his relationship with Rogers Communications would result in any potential collaborations, Vanderwel said that this is pure speculation. He also noted that the new market situation offers an excellent prospect for the company to create relationships and engage local fans.
