Pre-Registration Begins for theScore Bet in Anticipation of the Launch of Ontario Sports Betting

The launch of commercial sports betting operators in Ontario is coming on April 4th, in just a few days. So, that means many approved Ontario sports betting operators are working on getting ready for their launch.

theScore Bet, which is based out of Toronto, is one such sportsbook operator. A few days ago, theScore Bet’s mobile sportsbook app went live on the iOS Apple Store app store for iPhone/iOS users. And, with that launch, prospective sports bettors in Ontario are now able to pre-register for their accounts in anticipation of the April 4th Ontario launch.

The CEO of theScore, John Levy, has indicated the company’s excitement for the forthcoming launch into the Ontario sports betting market. Because theScore already has a presence in the province for its sports news, the hope for the company is that they will have a built in fan base and customer base. The company has high hopes for the sports betting portion of its operation when it launches in the province.

The pre-registration is part of the launching strategy for the betting portion of theScore, theScore Bet. The company should know how their prospects look in the market depending on how many pre-registrations they receive in the coming weeks.

On April 2nd - April 4th, in Toronto, prior to the launch of Ontario sports betting, theScore will be hosting a “Home Opener” celebration. Once the market officially launches on April 4th, the operator will be taking their first bets in the provincial market that very day, according to the company.

Last year, theScore was officially purchased by Penn National Gaming, in a move from the company to take a large piece of the Canada sports betting market. Over a third of Barstool Sports is also owned by Penn National Gaming. So, as a result, a shirt from the hockey podcast Spittin’ Chiclets from Barstool Sports will be offered as a bonus option to those who pre-register for an account.

This is part of a larger marketing campaign that was recently launched in anticipation of the Ontario sports betting launch. theScore’s video spot ad campaign is known as “Get Into Bet Mode” and features three comedians, Rex Lee, Susie Essman, as well as Gerry Dee. 

Last year, in August 2021, Canadian single-game sports betting became legal nationwide due to a change to the Canadian criminal code. Prior to this change, only parlay betting was legal. However, it has been left up to each province to run and regulate sports betting for itself. Companies like Penn National Gaming and theScore have since taken steps to garner a significant place for themselves in the Canadian sports betting market.

Most provinces began with online sportsbooks run by their own provincial lotteries. As a result, the first online sportsbook to launch in the Ontario sports betting market was ProLine+ from Ontario Lottery and Gaming. It went live back in August 2021 right around when the legalization of single-event sports betting was announced. That allowed for ProLine+ to partner with the NHL and NFL a few months ago, becoming the first Canadian partner for both.

A few months ago, theScore also struck a deal with Carlan Sports, which has six sports complexes in Ontario. Around the same time, an additional deal for theScore Bet as the official gaming partner of Golf Canada was also announced. So, the company is really looking for these partnerships to pay off come launch time.

theScore was one of the first commercial sports betting operators to receive a license from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario back in January. Since then and as of this writing, fifteen additional operators have received licenses have been awarded to sportsbook operators from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. A few days ago, BetMGM received a sports betting operator license from AGCO and Kambi received a license as a supplier.

Written by Allie Nelson, our US Sports Betting Industry Expert.