Following the passing of Bill C-218 legalizing single-sport betting in Canada, Pointsbet, a global online gaming operator that recently set up shop in Canada, has announced that it has appointed former Rogers executive Scott Vanderwel (pictured left) as its first CEO for its Canadian operation.

Vanderwel’s appointment follows earlier senior hires for PointsBet Canada – including gaming veteran, Nic Sulsky, as chief commercial officer and Chantal Cipriano as VP, legal, compliance and people – further solidifying the organization’s plans to launch gaming products and services here. Vanderwel will report to PointsBet’s Global CEO, Sam Swanell.

Vanderwel was formerly SVP for Rogers Communications, where he oversaw corporate strategy, operational improvement and digital operations.

This hire is PointsBet’s third in Canada. “Having built a core team into an operation with more than 200 employees at our headquarters in Denver, serving thousands of clients in states all over the U.S., I’m looking forward to sharing with Scott what we’ve learned here, but more importantly, utilizing his unique experience to make our entire company better,” PointsBet USA CEO Johnny Aitken, said in a statement. “These are obviously two distinct North American markets, and Scott’s appointment will enable PointsBet to serve both of them even better.”

Vanderwel’s first day with PointsBet Canada is Aug. 17, 2021.

Pointsbet is just the latest in a number of online gaming companies setting up shop in Canada, along with homegrown theScore, which recently heralded the start of single-sports betting here with an OOH activation along Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway, and in the city’s downtown core at Yonge and Dundas.