TheScore Bet Hit With $200K Ontario Regulatory Penalty Following $380K Cash-Out Error

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has fined Score Media and Gaming Inc., operator of theScore Bet, CA$200,000 ($140,340) for allegedly failing to meet player-protection standards after presenting a customer with a cash-out offer that was not honored.

On March 14, 2025, a bettor placed a CA$1,000 ($702) multi-leg parlay spanning National Hockey League (NHL), National Basketball Association (NBA), and NCAA college basketball games, carrying a potential payout exceeding CA$1 million.

Unachievable Cash-Out Offers Trigger Breach

According to an AGCO enforcement statement, after all early legs hit and only a single leg remained active, theScore Bet presented the player with a CA$380,000 ($266,645) cash-out offer. The player accepted immediately, but the system rejected the transaction, citing shifting odds.

Four minutes later, theScore Bet generated a secondary cash-out offer of nearly CA$100,000 ($70,170), which the player also accepted. That transaction was similarly voided. The remaining leg ultimately failed, resulting in a settled loss with zero payout to the customer.

Following an investigation, the AGCO concluded that “neither cash-out offer was achievable as presented to the player”.

AGCO Cites Standard 4.07 Infraction

Regulators determined the software failure violated Standard 4.07 of the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming. The rule mandates that gaming information provided to players before and during play “does not mislead players or misrepresent games,” explicitly prohibiting descriptions of outcomes, prizes, or feature functionalities that cannot actually be executed.

“Operators have a responsibility to ensure that the gaming opportunities they present are accurate and can be honoured as described,” said Dr. Karin Schnarr, chief executive officer and registrar of the AGCO.

Second-Largest Ontario iGaming Fine

The CA$200,000 penalty represents the second-largest financial fine levied by the AGCO against an online gaming operator since Ontario launched its competitive commercial market in April 2022.

The benchmark penalty remains a CA$350,000 ($245,600) fine issued to FanDuel in January for failing to properly detect and report suspicious betting activity linked to international table tennis matches.

Other notable regulatory penalties in the province include a CA$150,000 ($105,255) fine against PointsBet in 2023 for responsible gambling non-compliance, a CA$120,000 ($84,200) sanction against Betty Gaming for age-verification gaps, and a CA$110,000 ($77,185) fine against BetMGM for prohibited signup inducement advertising.

The enforcement action also marks theScore Bet’s second major regulatory fine in Ontario, following a CA$105,000 ($73,680) penalty assessed for responsible gambling interventions.

AGCO Issues Industry Warning

“As the regulator, the AGCO is committed to holding operators accountable when they fail to uphold commitments made to players or otherwise mislead them about gaming opportunities,” Schnarr added. “By imposing the maximum monetary penalty available, we are sending a clear message that these expectations are not optional.”

Under provincial regulations, an operator served with an Order of Monetary Penalty has 15 days to appeal the decision before the Licence Appeal Tribunal.

Representatives for Score Media and Gaming Inc. did not respond to a request for comment prior to publication.