AGCO fines Score Media and Gaming $200,000 over misleading theScore.Bet cash-out offers
$200,000 penalty: AGCO found theScore.Bet offered a bettor two cash-outs it never honoured on a $1,000 NHL/NBA/NCAA parlay.
Key takeaways
- 01AGCO issued a $200,000 monetary penalty against Score Media and Gaming Inc., operator of theScore.Bet, the maximum available under the standard cited.
- 02On a $1,000 parlay placed March 14, 2025, theScore offered cash-outs of about $380,000 and, four minutes later, almost $100,000 — neither was honoured.
- 03The Registrar cited Standard 4.07, which bars operators from describing outcomes, prizes or features that are not achievable; theScore can appeal to the Licence Appeal Tribunal within 15 days.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has issued a $200,000 monetary penalty against Score Media and Gaming Inc., operator of theScore.Bet, after finding the sportsbook presented a player with two cash-out offers that were never honoured.
“By imposing the maximum monetary penalty available, we are sending a clear message that these expectations are not optional.”
What happened to the bet
The case centres on a $1,000 bet placed on March 14, 2025 — a multi-leg parlay requiring correct picks across NHL, NBA and NCAA basketball games that day. A full sweep would have paid out more than $1 million, according to the AGCO.
After all but one leg landed, theScore offered the player a cash-out of approximately $380,000. The player accepted immediately, but theScore rejected the transaction during automated verification after the odds changed. Four minutes later, theScore presented a second cash-out offer of almost $100,000. The player again accepted straight away, and again the offer was not honoured. The bet ultimately settled as a loss, and the player received no payout.
| Event | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original bet | $1,000 parlay; potential payout more than $1 million |
| First cash-out offer | Approximately $380,000, accepted then rejected |
| Second cash-out offer | Almost $100,000, offered four minutes later, accepted then rejected |
| Outcome | Bet settled as a loss; no payout |
| Penalty | $200,000, the maximum available |
The rule the AGCO applied
The Registrar found that neither cash-out offer was achievable as presented, a breach of Standard 4.07 of the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming. That standard requires that information shown to players before and during gameplay “shall not mislead players or misrepresent games,” including by describing outcomes, prizes or features that are not achievable. The AGCO also cited section 3.8 of the Gaming Control Act, 1992.
Dr. Karin Schnarr, AGCO Chief Executive Officer and Registrar, said operators “have a responsibility to ensure that the gaming opportunities they present are accurate and can be honoured as described.”
The AGCO noted its enforcement action is separate from any dispute-resolution process available to the player directly against the operator. Score Media and Gaming Inc. has the right to request a hearing before the Licence Appeal Tribunal within 15 days of being served the Order of Monetary Penalty.
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