NHL training camps are under way. The NFL season is heading into Week 4. Major League Baseball teams that have made the playoffs are about to start down the road to the World Series.
This is also the week that the curling season (and winter) gets real, with the second annual 2024 PointsBet Invitational, this time held in Calgary at the Winsport Event Centre. The event runs to Sept. 29.
The single-elimination curling tournament features a field of Canada’s best teams (16 men’s and 16 women’s), as well as some of the most promising university/college, U-25, U-21, and grassroots competitors. The total purse is $350,000.
“We love the sport of curling and everything that makes it special — the athletes, the fans, and the incredible culture surrounding it,” says Keesje Kort, PointsBet Canada’s Senior Director of Business Development and Commercial Partnerships. “It’s a privilege to work alongside Curling Canada on the PointsBet Invitational every year and we treat this event as a marquee moment on our sporting calendar.”
PointsBet hosted the first Invitational in New Brunswick in 2022. Last year, it was held in Oakville. A PointsBet Canada spokesperson has said that with each event, the betting numbers for curling on the PointsBet platform have grown.
A PointsBet spokesperson said they decided to hold off on the Sweep 16 challenge this year. “Our focus is on the event itself and we’re putting a lot of energy into delivering a top-notch made-for-TV product.”
The men’s final will be held Sunday at 5 p.m. EST, with the women’s final scheduled that day for noon EST.