The Ontario iGaming landscape appears set to see a big shakeup as a major player in the space is making a new push with a new standalone product.
According to a release earlier this month, PENN Entertainment is looking to expand upon their theScore BET offerings in Ontario and is launching theScore Casino in the province.
PENN Entertainment, which purchased theScore BET brand back in 2021, also owns ESPN Bet and will add theScore Casino to an already heavy-hitting lineup of Ontario online casinos.
“We’re excited to introduce our dedicated iCasino product in Ontario under the well-known and trusted theScore brand,” said Aaron LaBerge, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Interactive, PENN Entertainment. “We’ve built a strong online gaming foothold in the Ontario market and are primed to deliver an even better casino experience with our proven stand-alone app.”
The new app will make use of PENN's already strong existing database of proprietary technology from across their various other standalone apps, including Hollywood Casino which launched last December.
Set to offer a variety of online slots, table games, and live dealer content, the app will also include original content from PENN Game Studios, the company’s in-house developer.
In addition to introducing the new platform, theScore will also see the opportunity to leverage already existing partnerships in place with their new app.
That includes perhaps their most prominent position as the official sportsbook of the Toronto Blue Jays, which will in turn allow theScore Casino to introduce Blue Jays Blackjack, a themed experience around Canada’s only Major League Baseball club.
“The fan experience is evolving and this monumental partnership with theScore Bet offers compelling new ways for sports enthusiasts to be a part of the game,” Blue Jays President & CEO Mark Shapiro said back in 2022 following the announcement of the partnership. “We are excited to be partnering with a Canadian company that operates at the highest level of the industry and understands our role in Toronto and Canada, to bring baseball to more fans nationwide.”
According to the PENN Entertainment release in conjunction with data from iGaming Ontario, casinos hold an 85% share of the over $7 billion market in February that iGaming in the province. Additionally, of the nearly $300 million in revenue generated by iGaming, casinos are reported to have represented over three-quarters of the market share, coming in at 76%.
