AGCO Fines theScore Bet $200,000 Over Misleading Cash-Out Offers

^{Ontario's gaming regulator hit theScore Bet with its maximum single-breach penalty after a bettor was shown two cash-out offers worth a combined $480,000 that were never paid. (Image: Don Denton/Alamy)}

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario on Oct. 6 ordered Score Media and Gaming Inc., operator of theScore.Bet, to pay a $200,000 monetary penalty.

The AGCO said the operator failed to meet Ontario's player-protection standards by presenting cash-out offers it could not honour.

The case centres on a $1,000 parlay bet placed on March 14, 2025, spanning NHL, NBA and NCAA basketball games with a potential payout above $1 million.

What Happened to the Bettor

After all but one leg of the parlay hit, theScore offered the player a cash-out of about $380,000.

The player accepted immediately, but theScore rejected the transaction during automated verification after the odds had changed.

Four minutes later, theScore presented a second cash-out offer of almost $100,000, which the player also accepted right away.

That offer was not honoured either, and the bet ultimately settled as a complete loss with no payout to the player.

Why the AGCO Came Down Hard

The regulator found neither cash-out offer was actually achievable when it was shown to the player.

It cited Standard 4.07 of the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming, which bars operators from describing outcomes, prizes or features that cannot be delivered.

"Operators have a responsibility to ensure that the gaming opportunities they present are accurate and can be honoured as described."

AGCO chief executive and registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr said the commission is "committed to holding operators accountable when they fail to uphold commitments made to players or otherwise mislead them about gaming opportunities."

The $200,000 figure is the maximum the AGCO can levy for a single breach of its iGaming standards.

Part of a Growing Enforcement Record

It is the latest in a string of AGCO penalties against licensed operators this year, following a $350,000 order against FanDuel in January over suspicious betting reports and a $70,000 penalty against Booming Games in August over a prohibited auto-play feature.

The Ontario iGaming market has grown fast since launching in 2022, and the AGCO has used its enforcement powers to keep pressure on licensed operators as the market matures.

theScore has the right to request a hearing before the Licence Appeal Tribunal within 15 days, and the AGCO noted its action is separate from any dispute resolution the player may pursue directly with the operator.

Cash-out features are common on Ontario sportsbooks, letting bettors lock in a payout before a wager settles, but this case shows the number on screen is not always the number a player will get.

Anyone using a betting or casino app for a live cash-out should expect the figure to be confirmed, not revised downward or rejected after the fact.