In an effort to combat the effect of rising player salaries and the low Canadian dollar, the NHL's Vancouver Canucks have taken an unprecedented step into the world of sports gambling.
The Canucks have entered into a partnership with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), the government organization that operates Sports Action, the province's sportsbook.
Through the partnership, the Canucks stand to gain 15 per cent of all wagering on Sports Action professional hockey games exceeding the existing base of $11 million.
In return, the Canucks will provide marketing and media support for Sports Action.
"Our Sports Action brand shares the same target audience as the Canucks, so that was a natural fit," said Jim Lightbody, vice president of lottery marketing at BCLC.
Another element of the partnership is a new Canucks Scratch & Win ticket that launched province-wide on Monday. The $10 ticket has over $2.2 million in cash prizes, top prizes of $100,000, as well as prizes such as road trips, tickets and jerseys.
The first two Canucks players featured on the collectible series of eight tickets are Trevor Linden and Brendan Morrison. The others are: Todd Bertuzzi, Matt Cooke, Ed Jovanovski, Markus Naslund, Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin.
There is also a separate bonus Internet contest where the prize is Trevor Linden?s 2004 Chevy TrailBlazer.
The Canucks marketing support for Sports Action and the scratch and win tickets includes a media package of TV and radio, as well as signage and exposure in General Motors Place.
The agreement could deliver an estimated $1.5 million to $2 million to the Canucks in the first year. According to a press release on the team's website, the amount the Canucks take in will depend on how much marketing and media support the team provides.
"We?re very much looking forward to expanding this business relationship in a way that will increase revenues for us and BCLC," said Dave Cobb, COO of Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, the company that owns the Canucks.
The Canucks have entered into a partnership with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), the government organization that operates Sports Action, the province's sportsbook.
Through the partnership, the Canucks stand to gain 15 per cent of all wagering on Sports Action professional hockey games exceeding the existing base of $11 million.
In return, the Canucks will provide marketing and media support for Sports Action.
"Our Sports Action brand shares the same target audience as the Canucks, so that was a natural fit," said Jim Lightbody, vice president of lottery marketing at BCLC.
Another element of the partnership is a new Canucks Scratch & Win ticket that launched province-wide on Monday. The $10 ticket has over $2.2 million in cash prizes, top prizes of $100,000, as well as prizes such as road trips, tickets and jerseys.
The first two Canucks players featured on the collectible series of eight tickets are Trevor Linden and Brendan Morrison. The others are: Todd Bertuzzi, Matt Cooke, Ed Jovanovski, Markus Naslund, Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin.
There is also a separate bonus Internet contest where the prize is Trevor Linden?s 2004 Chevy TrailBlazer.
The Canucks marketing support for Sports Action and the scratch and win tickets includes a media package of TV and radio, as well as signage and exposure in General Motors Place.
The agreement could deliver an estimated $1.5 million to $2 million to the Canucks in the first year. According to a press release on the team's website, the amount the Canucks take in will depend on how much marketing and media support the team provides.
"We?re very much looking forward to expanding this business relationship in a way that will increase revenues for us and BCLC," said Dave Cobb, COO of Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, the company that owns the Canucks.
