Born in Canada more than three decades ago, Covers is a household name within the North American betting community. We speak to Brandon DuBreuil, head of content at the affiliate, about the site’s history, its acquisition by Legend, content strategy and its latest venture into new sectors such as prediction markets.
Like many young Canadians, Covers.com’s Brandon DuBreuil (below) aspired to travel around the world – except that he had no savings. After completing an entrepreneurship degree at McGill in 2006, he took a job teaching English in Taiwan to see the other side of the globe.
Initially planning to stay for just a year, DuBreuil ended up spending 11 years juggling different teaching roles. More importantly, he stumbled upon what would become his lifelong career passion: sports journalism.
In 2013, when baseball outfielder Manny Ramirez joined the Taiwan league, DuBreuil was already a fan. Spotting a gap in English-language coverage, he launched the blog Manny Does Taiwan to track the sporting legend’s every move, which soon gained global traction. He also began freelancing as a Bleacher Report columnist, publishing more than 100 articles over two years.
We have people who’ve been here for 20 or 25 years. I learn from my colleagues every day and genuinely enjoy working with them
Brandon DuBreuil
Into Covers
After returning to Halifax in 2017, DuBreuil decided to stay in the sports journalism space. “But there were no professional sports teams in Halifax. It is a small city. At the same time, it happened to be home to two of the largest sports betting affiliate companies in North America, with Covers.com being one of them,” he says.
Already being an avid bettor, he was introduced by friends to join the affiliate’s freelancer pool – “and the rest is history”. Recognised for his content expertise, he was made the publication’s editor-in-chief in 2021.
Covers made the decision around 2015 to prepare for regulated betting in the US, anticipating PASPA’s repeal
Brandon DuBreuil
Culture is DuBreuil’s favourite part of working at Covers, and he’s proud to have colleagues who have been with the business for more than two decades. Founded by two Halifax entrepreneurs when the internet was just taking off, the site has been running since 1995 and changed hands several times in the 2010s. Its current owner, Legend, acquired Covers in 2020 as its first move into sports betting, having previously focused on gaming and poker.
“Covers made the decision around 2015 to prepare for regulated betting in the US, anticipating PASPA’s repeal. Those early years were tough, but growth accelerated once the market opened,” DuBreuil recalls. “Since then, Legend has acquired other sports properties, and the sports betting vertical has grown with it.”
Building content & community
Describing Covers’ content structure, DuBreuil says the team relies on a “three-pronged approach”. At the top of the funnel is daily editorial output, with 30 to 60 articles published each day, pegged to the sports news calendar and aimed at casual bettors. Alongside that sits a smaller but critical industry news team focused on legislation, launches and emerging trends. The third pillar is commercial content, producing affiliate-style pieces such as product reviews.
Forums give people a place to talk, share tips and strategies and keep coming back daily
Brandon DuBreuil
Community, on the other side, has been a defining moat since the beginning. Covers’ contests date back to the early 2000s and expanded significantly when it was acquired by WagerLine in 2010. The team is also actively expanding its presence on social media particularly on X, where the brand already has over 170k followers.
Forums are equally important for audience retention. Fans can find channels tailored to their interests, covering everything from the NHL and bitcoin betting to music and films. “They give people a place to talk, share tips and strategies and keep coming back daily. From there, it’s on us to make sure we offer everything else they want, like matchup pages with deep pregame data for DIY handicappers,” DuBreuil adds.
The future of Covers
With multiple states banning sweepstakes, 2025 has been a watershed year for the sector, and DuBreuil believes further regulatory change is on the horizon.
“It feels like we’re at the beginning of the downfall for sweepstakes. California’s ban really hurt the industry, and New York came even earlier. If large states like Texas or Florida follow, it could be serious trouble,” he explains. “I don’t think sweepstakes will disappear entirely in 2026, but it feels like the industry has passed its peak and is heading downward.”
The current US administration has made it clear it doesn’t intend to stop platforms like Kalshi or Polymarket, so it would be a mistake not to get involved
Brandon DuBreuil
By contrast, prediction markets are moving fast in the opposite direction and have been Covers’ new focus to capture a broader US audience. Having entered the vertical early on, the site promotes bonuses from all the legendary platforms and newcomers alike, including Kalshi, Robinhood, Drafkings and FanDuel.
“The news cycle is relentless and keeps our news team very busy,” DuBreuil says. “We’ve partnered with some major prediction market operators and see strong growth ahead. The current US administration has made it clear it doesn’t intend to stop platforms like Kalshi or Polymarket, so it would be a mistake not to get involved.”
The biggest upcoming milestone for Covers is a new app, scheduled for launch this year. “We had an app before, but it launched too early and didn’t get the focus it needed,” DuBreuil says. “This time, we’re confident it’ll be industry-leading and help us catch up in an area we know we’ve been missing.”
As Covers enters its 30s, the brand is far from a midlife crisis. By balancing heritage with reinvention and continuing to invest in its loyal community, DuBreuil is certain that the brand’s future will only look brighter.