The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has imposed a fine of CA$200,000 (approximately £106,251) on theScore Bet due to its failure to honor cash-out offers.
This issue arose from a $1,000 parlay bet placed on March 14, which included various NHL, NBA, and NCAA basketball games and had the potential to yield over $1 million in returns.
According to the AGCO, after all but one leg of the bet was successful, the player was initially offered $380,000. However, theScore's automated verification system rejected this cash-out, preventing its completion.
Subsequently, the player received a second cash-out offer of $100,000, which was also accepted, but encountered the same verification issue, ultimately leading to the bet being settled as a loss.
Upon reviewing the case, the AGCO concluded that neither cash-out offer was viable as presented to the player, resulting in the bet being recorded as a loss.
This situation breached Standard 4.07, which mandates that operators provide accurate information to players throughout the gaming experience, ensuring they are not misled about outcomes, prizes, or features that are unattainable.
The imposed fine is the maximum penalty allowed by the AGCO, which emphasizes the need for maintaining player trust through transparency and integrity.
Dr. Karin Schnarr, CEO and Registrar of the AGCO, remarked, “The AGCO is dedicated to holding operators accountable for failing to meet their obligations to players or misleading them regarding gaming options. By enforcing the highest possible monetary penalty, we are clearly indicating that these standards are non-negotiable.”
This is not the first instance of Score Media and Gaming Inc., the parent company of theScore Bet, facing scrutiny from Ontario’s regulatory body. In October 2025, the company was fined $105,000 for neglecting to address a customer’s high-risk gambling behavior, after the individual placed bets totaling around $2.5 million and lost $230,000 over an eight-month period.
theScore Bet now has a 15-day window to request a hearing before the Licence Appeal Tribunal.
iGaming Expert has reached out to theScore Bet for their response.