Ontario gambling regulators fined theScore Bet $200,000 over what it described as misleading cash-out offers.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) announced the monetary penalty against Score Media and Gaming Inc., which operates theScore Bet. It said the sportsbook displayed unachievable cash-out amounts and didn’t honor them.
The cash-out feature lets users settle a wager before an outcome is decided, generally helping sportsbooks increase their margins during in-game microbetting. Instead of waiting for the final result, a bettor may accept a smaller guaranteed payout or take a partial loss. As odds change, the offer’s value can fluctuate rapidly.
theScoreBet was also fined late last year for failing to protect people with gambling problems, Ontario said.
Regulator Says Offers Mislead
According to the AGCO, theScore Bet offered cash-outs without properly communicating that the displayed amount could change.
The regulator cited a case in which a customer accepted and failed to receive a $380,000 cash-out offer on a sports betting parlay.
In general, bettors could decide to cash out based on an offer and ultimately not receive a payout.
Ontario regulators determined the practice failed to meet standards requiring gambling operators to provide non-misleading information.
“Operators have a responsibility to ensure that the gaming opportunities they present are accurate and can be honoured as described, Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar, AGCO, said in a statement. “As the regulator, the AGCO is committed to holding operators accountable when they fail to uphold commitments made to players or otherwise mislead them about gaming opportunities. By imposing the maximum monetary penalty available, we are sending a clear message that these expectations are not optional.”
theScore Bet Can Appeal Penalty
The $200,000 penalty is a regulatory monetary penalty, not a criminal fine.
Under Ontario’s regulatory process, theScore Bet can appeal the decision to the License Appeal Tribunal.
Score Media and Gaming Inc. is part of PENN Entertainment.
The regulatory action comes as some policymakers in Canada work to ban sports gambling ads. Canada legalized sports betting in 2021, but it has since found overlap between illegal offshore gambling and its regulated market.
