FanDuel Names Canada GM, Door Opens for Ontario Sports Betting Entry
By Patrick Cwiklinski in Sports Betting News
Updated: November 8, 2021 at 9:06 am ESTPublished:
- FanDuel names Dale Hooper as General Manager of Canada
- Hooper will build long-term sports betting strategy within Canadian markets
- FanDuel expected to launch in Ontario by end of 2021
FanDuel is taking its entry into Canada seriously, and a big personnel addition just proved it.
The FanDuel Group announced that Dale Hooper would be joining the sports betting brand as its General Manager of Canada. With excitement building around the launch of major online sportsbooks in Canada by the end of the year.
FanDuel is showing how dedicated they are to delivering their Canadian fanbase a memorable sports betting experience with the launch of FanDuel Canada Sportsbook.
FanDuel continues to prepare for its inevitable march into Canada. FanDuel today announced that Dale Hooper will join the company as its General Manager of Canada.
He'll be responsible for implementing the company's long-term strategy in Canada.
— RLinnehanXL (@RLinnehanXl) October 18, 2021
“Dale has a proven track record running high growth enterprises along with strong relationships that will be invaluable to our success in Canada,” said FanDuel Group CEO Amy Howe in a press release. “He is a respected leader known for his ability to scale business units effectively, a critical skill set, as we aim to bring the excitement of our sportsbook and iGaming products to Canadian citizens. It’s with great excitement that I welcome him to our team.”
Hooper Brings Steady Presence to FanDuel Canada
Hooper has plenty of experience as a highly-respected executive across different consumer-driven industries. Most recently, he served as the President and CEO of Cannabis Compliance Inc. (CCI) until the firm’s acquisition by Deloitte in December 2019. He scaled CCI dramatically and they became one of the leaders in the regulatory and operational consulting space.
Hooper was also the Chief Brand Officer for Rogers Communications from May 2014 to July 2017 and worked with reputable brands such as Frito-Lay and Cadbury prior to that.
“It is an incredible time to be a part of the growing sports gaming industry, and I look forward to joining Amy and the team as we bring the #1 Sportsbook to Canada,” said Hooper. “I am proud to be joining the industry leader at such a momentous time.”
FanDuel Likely Heading to Ontario First
It’s expected that the Ontario online sports betting market will be the first province to put together a formalization of single-game sports betting that will allow major online sportsbooks like DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars to legally set up shop in the province. Here are some of the expected sportsbooks headed to the province later this year:
| Sportsbook Apps To Launch in Ontario | Expected Launch |
|---|---|
| FanDuel | Q4 2021 |
| DraftKings | Q4 2021 |
| BetMGM | Q4 2021 |
| Caesars Sportsbook | Q4 2021 |
| PointsBet | Q4 2021 |
| theScore Bet | Q4 2021 |
| BetRivers | Q4 2021 |
The hiring of Hooper signifies that FanDuel plans to be among the first of these online sportsbooks to launch in Ontario as soon as it becomes a possibility. After entering the Ontario market, it’s likely that FanDuel may target provinces like Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec shortly afterwards.
Evergreen Manager; Sportsbook Expert
Following a sports journalism career with his work appearing in outlets like theScore, The Province, and VICE Sports, Patrick moved into the world of content marketing to bridge the gap between great writing and SEO success. He’s brought that same mindset to lead evergreen content efforts at SBD.
