WNBA Expansion to Canada and Its Sports Betting Impact

Toronto is set to welcome its own WNBA team in 2026, marking a significant milestone for Canadian sports fans and bettors alike.

On Thursday, the WNBA announced its first Canadian franchise, awarded to Larry Tanenbaum's Kilmer Sports Ventures. This new team will begin playing in 2026 at Toronto's 8,700-seat Coca-Cola Coliseum.

Tanenbaum, chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) which owns the NBA's Toronto Raptors and the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, revealed the new franchise in an event attended by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and musician Drake. While the team will be based in Toronto, Tanenbaum emphasised a national presence, stating, "We will play games in Vancouver and Montreal throughout the season, uniting the country behind our franchise." Kilmer president Teresa Resch, formerly the Raptors VP of basketball operations, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the team's plans to play across Canada "in a way that no other professional sports team in Canada has ever done."

This new franchise will be the WNBA's 14th team and its first outside the United States. Although Canada has previously hosted WNBA games, including events in Toronto's Scotiabank Arena and Edmonton's Rogers Place, it has never had a home team to rally behind. This development will provide Canadian sports bettors with a new home team to support and wager on, enhancing their engagement with the league. Tanenbaum emphasised that the WNBA team will be "Canada's team," not just Toronto's.

WNBA's Expanding Popularity and Betting Potential

The WNBA has seen substantial growth in both fandom and betting in recent years. At the SBC Summit North America earlier this month, Lauren Dwyer, the league's senior director of growth and innovation, highlighted that 2023 was the most-viewed WNBA season in 21 years and the best-attended in 13 years.

Sportsbooks are capitalising on this surge in popularity. Several have reported significant increases in WNBA betting volume, with FanDuel's betting handle on the WNBA more than doubling from 2022 to 2023. Dwyer emphasised the enormous potential for betting partnerships, noting that fans of women's sports tend to support brands that authentically back the leagues.

FanDuel, as the league's largest betting partner, has shown this authenticity through enhanced marketing and increased market offerings for the WNBA. Jen Matthews, FanDuel's VP of brand strategy, explained that the company has provided more and better-quality markets on the WNBA, attracting a broader audience of both men and women.

Dwyer added that the mutual promotion between the WNBA and its betting partners, such as FanDuel, Bally's, and Fanatics, benefits both sides. These partnerships not only increase visibility and engagement but also open opportunities for team-specific deals on both a national and international scale.

Prime Partnership Potential in Ontario

The WNBA's arrival in Canada presents a substantial opportunity for sportsbooks operating within Ontario's regulated gaming market. Many have already formed partnerships with major sports leagues and teams. For example, Ontario Lottery and Gaming partners with MLSE and all four major North American sports leagues, while FanDuel and PointsBet are partners of MLSE, and BetMGM and FanDuel are official sports betting partners of the NFL and NHL in Canada. TheScore Bet, a Canadian sportsbook, is the exclusive official partner of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Dwyer pointed out that these partnerships typically include increased brand visibility, shared advertising, and a wide range of betting markets on relevant teams or leagues. She emphasised that offering more markets leads to increased betting activity, stressing the importance of investing in the product to attract bettors.

As the WNBA expands into Canada, there is potential for additional sportsbooks, gaming suppliers, and technology providers to enter the market. The enthusiastic response to WNBA games hosted in Canada, such as the sold-out event at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto in 2023, indicates a strong audience ready to embrace the new team.

Tanenbaum recalled his experience bringing the Raptors to Toronto in the 1990s and noted a similar readiness for the WNBA now. "Today, we're here because once again, we were in the right place at the right time."

The WNBA's expansion into Canada is not just a milestone for basketball and women's sports but also a significant opportunity for sports betting. With the league's growing popularity, the arrival of a WNBA team in Canada could herald a new era for sports wagering in the Great White North.