As Ontario moves ever closer to launching the first regulated online iGaming market in Canada in 2022, theScore Bet, a subsidiary of Penn National Gaming, has moved a step closer to becoming one of the first licensees in the new jurisdiction.
On Monday 20th December 2023 The Score Bet obtained Gambling Laboratories International GLI-33 certification for its online operation, including its betting app, in Ontario.
Why is this important? Before any betting firm can start operating within the Ontario Province it must satisfy a number of criteria set out by the newly-formed regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and it’s subsidiary, iGaming Ontario. GLI-33 certification is one of them.
Gambling Laboratories International is an independent auditor who test, review and report on gambling applications and platforms for gaming jurisdictions worldwide. By using the GLI tests the AGCO are setting high standards in security, safety and fairness for any business looking to operate in the territory.
There will be further hoops for The Score to jump through before it can start taking bets in Ontario, but this is a significant step forward on that road. Once licensed, they will be offering both sports betting and online casino games.
CEO of theScore, John Levy, said: “We’re pleased to be one of the first online gaming operators to secure GLI-33 certification in Ontario. We are eager to launch theScore Bet in our home market and showcase our unrivaled combination of media and gaming to fans across the province. This approval is a credit to our first-rate product and engineering team who have been hard at work to ready theScore Bet for launch in Ontario.”
Who Are The Score?
theScore is a Toronto-based digital media company set up in 2012 operating sports media products including 24-hour news channels and online betting. These include the hugely popular and unique theScore Bet app, a mobile sportsbook offering bets, live scores, news, stats and betting information that launched in regulated markets in the US in September 2019. It is now available in New Jersey, Colorado, Indiana and Iowa. theScore app is the third most popular sports media app in the states and the most popular in Canada.
theScore Betting App – Soon to be Available to Ontario’s Gamblers
In November 2023 Score Media and Gaming Inc, to give it it’s official title, was acquired by Penn National Gaming, a casino and racetrack operator in the US. The deal follows a two-year strategic partnership between the two businesses that allowed theScore to improve their reach across the states.
Penn International also own a 36% stake in Barstool Sports, acquired for $163 million back in January 2020. With these two unique brands in their armoury they are expecting to cause serious disruption to the US market and establish a formidable presence in the emerging Canadian market.
What Next For Ontario?
The countdown to the full launch of the regulated igaming market in Ontario is well under way now and the first bets are expected to be placed online in the first quarter of 2022. theScore is just one name in a long list of more than 50 private operators who are believed to applying for an iGaming license in Ontario.
iGaming Ontario is the official agency in charge of the managing internet gaming. You can visit their website here to find out the latest news on when the market will open up.
Useful Resources
Penn National Gaming Acquires theSport
Penn National Gaming Acquires Stake in Barstool Sports
Gaming Laboratories International Standards for Wagering Systems
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