Who owns theScore Bet?
theScore Bet is owned by PENN Entertainment, Inc., a Nasdaq-listed US casino company that bought theScore in 2021. In Ontario it runs under Score Media and Gaming Inc., which has an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. On 1 December 2025 theScore Bet also replaced ESPN Bet in the US, and accounts carried over.
| Ultimate owner | PENN Entertainment, Inc. (listed (Nasdaq:PENN)) |
|---|---|
| Operating company | Score Media and Gaming Inc., CA-ON |
| Licenses | Canada Ontario — iGaming Ontario Operating agreement with iGaming Ontario; AGCO registration (number not shown on iGO directory) |
| Products | Sports betting, Casino |
| Website | thescore.bet |
| Also runs as | thescore.casino, sportsbook.thescore.bet |
| Sister casinos | 3 |
| Fines and actions | 9 |
| Owner proof | verified |
| Last checked | 14 Oct 2026 |
In numbers
- PENN Entertainment, Inc. owns 4 brand families with 6 websites in our data.
- 9 regulator fines against the owner since 2023, about €365,000 in total (converted to euros).
Who is behind it
PENN owns regional casinos under the Hollywood Casino name, and our data gives 1972 as its founding year. Its digital arm is built on theScore. PENN ended its ESPN licence deal early and renamed the ESPN Bet app theScore Bet. Secondary sources say theScore Bet is also live in Alberta from July 2026.
License and what it means for you
An iGaming Ontario registration covers players in Ontario only. The iGaming Ontario directory does not show the AGCO registration number. In the US, betting is licensed state by state, and each state runs its own self-exclusion list. Our data lists theScore Bet in Pennsylvania, Michigan and New Jersey.
Sister sites
PENN runs 3 other brands in our data: Hollywood Casino online, ESPN Bet and Barstool Sportsbook. The last two were rebranded. theScore Casino belongs to the same brand family as theScore Bet.
Fines and regulator actions
Our data lists 9 actions against PENN companies. In October 2026 Ontario's AGCO fined Score Media and Gaming CAD 200,000 for showing parlay cash-out offers that it did not honour. In October 2025 the AGCO fined it CAD 105,000 for not acting on clear signs of gambling harm by a high-stakes player who lost about $230k over eight months. In the US, New Jersey fined Penn Interactive $27,500 in August 2025.
Licences
| Regulator | Type | Valid | Check it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada Ontario — iGaming Ontario Operating agreement with iGaming Ontario; AGCO registration (number not shown on iGO directory) | — | active | register |
What these licences mean for you
- An iGaming Ontario registration covers players in Ontario only.
About PENN Entertainment, Inc.
Regional casino owner (Hollywood Casino properties) with a digital arm built on theScore, bought in 2021. It ended its ESPN licence early and rebranded ESPN Bet as theScore Bet on Dec 1 2025, taking a large write-down; online casino runs as Hollywood Casino and theScore Casino.
Headquarters: US · Founded: 1972 · Ownership: listed (Nasdaq:PENN)
How we know, and what we could not confirm
How we know: Took over the ESPN Bet app in the US on Dec 1 2025; accounts carried over. Also live in Ontario and (from Jul 2026) Alberta per secondary sources.
- We have no company registration number for Score Media and Gaming Inc..
3 sister casinos
Same owner often means the same terms, the same support team and the same payout rules. A self-exclusion at one brand may not cover its sister sites.
- Hollywood Casino (online)hollywoodcasino.com
- ESPN Betespnbet.com rebranded
- Barstool Sportsbookbarstoolsportsbook.com rebranded
Everything PENN Entertainment, Inc. owns, with fines and sources →
Regulator fines
| Date | Company | Regulator / court | Amount | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-06 | Score Media and Gaming Inc. (theScore.Bet) | AGCO (Ontario) | CAD 200,000 | Monetary penalty for showing cash-out offers on a parlay that were not honoured (Standard 4.07). source |
| 2026-08-04 | Penn Sports Interactive, LLC | USA Michigan — MGCB | — | Board approved an Acknowledgment of Violation against this internet gaming/sports betting supplier licensee; the minutes do not state the facts or the fine amount. source |
| 2026-05-12 | Penn Sports Interactive, LLC | USA Michigan — MGCB | — | Board approved an Acknowledgment of Violation against this internet gaming/sports betting supplier licensee; the minutes do not state the facts or the fine amount. source |
| 2026-01-15 | Penn Interactive / Penn Sports Interactive | USA New Jersey — DGE | USD 2,000 | DGE Director's ruling (summary for jan1-15 2026): $2,000 civil penalty on Penn Sports Interactive pursuant to a Notice of Violation regarding software rules source |
| 2025-10-07 | Score Media and Gaming Inc. | AGCO (Ontario) | CAD 105,000 | Monetary penalty for failing to act on clear signs of gambling harm by a high-stakes patron (about $230k lost over eight months). source |
| 2025-09-15 | Penn Interactive / Penn Sports Interactive | USA New Jersey — DGE | USD 3,000 | DGE Director's ruling (summary for sep1-15 2025): $3,000 civil penalty on Penn Interactive pursuant to an Action in Lieu of Complaint and denied its request to void certain wagers for failing to correctly list a wagering market source |
| 2025-08-15 | Penn Interactive / Penn Sports Interactive | USA New Jersey — DGE | USD 27,500 | DGE Director's ruling (summary for aug1-15 2025): civil penalty of $27,500 and ordered the disgorgement of $4,194.26 against Penn Interactive pursuant to an Action in Lieu of Complaint for violation of self-exclusion rules source |
| 2024-02-21 | Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association, LLC (Penn Interactive Ventures platforms) | USA Pennsylvania — PGCB | USD 97,500 | Consent agreement: weak controls on Penn Interactive's online casino/sportsbook let people open accounts with other people's identities, fund them with stolen cards and withdraw funds. source |
| 2023-03-22 | Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association, LLC (Hollywood Casino at Penn National) | USA Pennsylvania — PGCB | USD 45,000 | Consent agreement: five people on the iGaming self-exclusion list were able to gamble on the online Barstool Sportsbook. source |
Ratings elsewhere
- Trustpilot: read the reviews there
Ratings from other websites, with their source. We do not copy their reviews, and they do not change our facts.
Questions and answers
Who owns theScore Bet?
PENN Entertainment, Inc., which is listed on Nasdaq.
Is theScore Bet the same as ESPN Bet?
Yes, in the US. The ESPN Bet app was renamed theScore Bet on 1 December 2025.
Has theScore Bet been fined?
Yes. Ontario's AGCO fined its operator CAD 200,000 in 2026 and CAD 105,000 in 2025.
Sources
- https://cdcgaming.com/brief/a-new-dawn-for-penn-espn-bet-is-replaced-with-thescore-bet/
- https://www.ingame.com/penn-ends-espn-bet-deal/
- https://igamingontario.ca/en/player/regulated-igaming-market
- https://www.njoag.gov/about/divisions-and-offices/division-of-gaming-enforcement-home/internet-gaming-sites/
- https://www.nj.gov/oag/ge/docs/InternetGaming/internetgamingpermitholders.pdf
- https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/interactive-gaming-operators
- https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/online-sports-wagering-licensed-operators
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheScore_Bet
Last checked 14 Oct 2026. How we check facts. Gambling can be addictive. Help: BeGambleAware, GamStop, Gamblers Anonymous.