#37 - Nic Sulsky – Chief Commercial Officer at PointsBet Canada
Nic Sulsky is not short on passion, enthusiasm, and opinion. He also knows the iGaming space as well as anyone… anywhere. Combine those two and you can see why PointsBet – an Australian-owned sportsbook operator – tapped Nic to lead their sales and marketing efforts in Canada.
You see, PointsBet entered the Ontario sportsbook waters at a disadvantage to their rivals when the government opened the coveted Ontario market to licensed and regulated operators on April 4 of this year. Their pockets weren’t as deep, and they didn’t have an existing database to convert to paying bettors. So Nic and his team had to be crafty. A couple pillars they leaned on heavily were sponsorships and influencer marketing, quickly snapping up deals with Curling Canada, Alpine Canada, the Trailer Park Boys, NHL Alumni Association and – most recently – MLSE. All part of Nic’s strategy to build a brand wrapped in the Canadian flag.
In our chat, Nic shares that strategy and his views on the Ontario sports betting market. We also stepped back and revisited his time as president of the popular disruptor daily fantasy brand, Monkey Knife Fight (any Simpsons fans out there?). A brand that in less than 3 years got purchased by Bally’s for $90 million.
The sports betting business in Canada has never been hotter and Nic is the perfect guest to discuss it with. Some terrific insights, fun stories… and even an explanation of how one can be both a Habs fan and a Leafs fan at the same time.
I hope you enjoy!
And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud… or check out rothrevenue.com.
You see, PointsBet entered the Ontario sportsbook waters at a disadvantage to their rivals when the government opened the coveted Ontario market to licensed and regulated operators on April 4 of this year. Their pockets weren’t as deep, and they didn’t have an existing database to convert to paying bettors. So Nic and his team had to be crafty. A couple pillars they leaned on heavily were sponsorships and influencer marketing, quickly snapping up deals with Curling Canada, Alpine Canada, the Trailer Park Boys, NHL Alumni Association and – most recently – MLSE. All part of Nic’s strategy to build a brand wrapped in the Canadian flag.
In our chat, Nic shares that strategy and his views on the Ontario sports betting market. We also stepped back and revisited his time as president of the popular disruptor daily fantasy brand, Monkey Knife Fight (any Simpsons fans out there?). A brand that in less than 3 years got purchased by Bally’s for $90 million.
The sports betting business in Canada has never been hotter and Nic is the perfect guest to discuss it with. Some terrific insights, fun stories… and even an explanation of how one can be both a Habs fan and a Leafs fan at the same time.
I hope you enjoy!
And for more episodes of the Influencers of Sponsorship Marketing, follow me on LinkedIn, visit Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud… or check out rothrevenue.com.
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