Curling Canada has confirmed the 2023 PointsBet Invitational will be played at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville.

Last year’s inaugural event took place in Fredericton, New Brunswick, but this year it’s headed for Southern Ontario as Canada’s top curling teams ramp up their push toward qualifying for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

16 men’s and 16 women’s teams from Canada will take part in the competition, chasing a prize in excess of $350,000 in a sudden-death single-knockout format taking place between Sept. 26-Oct. 1.

Nic Sulsky, COO for PointsBet Canada – which recently opened a new headquarters in the province – commented: “We are thrilled to be bringing the PointsBet Invitational home to Ontario. It is a one-of-a-kind event with our nation’s best curlers, and we cannot wait for it to get underway in September.

“2023 is going to be an amazing year for Ontario curling fans. Working with the Curling Canada team, we will offer new and exciting ways for fans to connect with their favourite curlers and athletes at the Brier, Men’s World Championship, and the PointsBet Invitational.”

The 2023 PointsBet Invitational will serve as the first major event of the 2023-24 campaign, and fans will have the chance to get in on the action via the ‘Sweep 16 Bracket Challenge’. Fans who correctly predict a perfect men’s and women’s bracket will win $1m from PointsBet Canada.

Katherine Henderson, CEO of Curling Canada, added: “The inaugural PointsBet Invitational last fall in Fredericton exceeded our expectations in terms of the drama and intensity on the ice, and we have every expectation that the excitement will go to another level in Oakville.

“It’s a unique event, like none other in curling, and with the exceptional support from our Official Sports Betting Partner PointsBet, fans will be in for a great show on and off the ice.”