theScore Bet becomes NFL official partner for betting and casino in Canada

PENN Entertainment announced on 7 October 2026 that theScore Bet has become an official partner of the National Football League (NFL) in Canada under a multiyear agreement covering sports betting and online casino. The deal applies to theScore Bet, theScore Casino and Hollywood Casino in the Canadian markets where PENN operates, currently Ontario and Alberta. Commercial licensing and branding rights include use of NFL trademarks, team imagery, the Super Bowl, NFL Kickoff and other league marketing rights.

## What the theScore Bet NFL partnership includes

The agreement allows PENN to build promotions around key NFL events, including the Super Bowl, the NFL Draft, NFL Kickoff and the postseason. The rights package is not limited to wagering: it also covers league advertising, event hospitality, digital media exchanges, fan engagement assets and access to database marketing opportunities via NFL Canada.

The structure of the deal includes media exchanges between the NFL’s digital channels and theScore’s media platform, and permits PENN to participate in selected fan events. That integration fits PENN’s strategy because the company already links theScore’s media app with the wagering experience on theScore Bet.

## How theScore’s media platform links to theScore Bet NFL partnership

theScore’s media platform delivers scores, stats, news and alerts to millions of Canadian sports users, creating a direct connection between sports content and betting products. Justin Hergianto, Vice President of Marketing at PENN Interactive, said:

"The NFL has an incredibly passionate following in Canada, and this partnership gives us new ways to serve those fans throughout the football season." — Justin Hergianto, PENN Interactive

Hergianto added that with theScore Bet active in Ontario and Alberta and theScore a daily destination for millions of fans, PENN is uniquely positioned to connect sports media and wagering with the NFL experiences that matter to followers.

## Regulatory context: the AGCO fine and provincial operations

The news arrives days after Ontario’s regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), imposed a $200,000 CAD fine on Score Media and Gaming Inc. for two cash-out offers a customer could not redeem. The incident concerned a $1,000 parlay where the customer was shown offers of roughly $380,000 and then just under $100,000; no transaction completed and the bet lost. AGCO concluded the offers were not obtainable as presented and applied the maximum penalty available under applicable rules. For regulator commentary see the [regulation](/regulation) section.

PENN launched theScore Bet, theScore Casino and Hollywood Casino in Alberta when the province’s regulated market opened on 13 July 2026; the company described initial volumes in Alberta as promising and said it seeks to make the province one of its primary interactive markets. Ontario remains critical: PENN CEO Jay Snowden said on the August earnings call that Ontario is by far the company’s largest online sports-betting market.

## The partnership adds to PENN’s Canadian sports portfolio

The NFL relationship joins a Canadian portfolio already supported by PENN’s agreements with Major League Baseball and other sports organizations. Announced collaborations include a long-term partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays and work with Golf Canada. In early 2026 PENN added an agreement with the Canadian Football League (CFL) covering sports betting and online casino in Ontario and Alberta and including integration between CFL digital products, theScore’s media platform and theScore Bet. In that CFL deal, the CFL app also features theScore Bet as a principal sponsor, giving PENN cross-visibility in both football leagues followed by Canadian bettors.

Gavin Kemp, General Manager of NFL Canada, praised the choice: "theScore Bet is one of the most recognizable and trusted brands in Canada, with a proven track record of connecting with passionate sports fans." — Gavin Kemp, NFL Canada

## Competition for official NFL rights in Canada and commercial effects

The deal makes PENN one of the operators holding official NFL rights in the Canadian market; BetMGM also retains official NFL partner status in Canada, although its agreement does not extend to BetMGM Casino. PENN therefore has coverage across its full Canadian iGaming portfolio: theScore Bet, theScore Casino and Hollywood Casino.

The positioning gives PENN clear commercial opportunities: NFL-linked promotions, targeted campaigns using data shared with NFL Canada, and presence at physical and digital league activations. Integration with theScore’s media app is an operationally important component of that strategy and connects content to product in real time (see the [/sports](/sports) coverage for related product stories).

## Implications for operators and regulators

The announcement underscores how multimedia operators are focusing on integrating content and wagering. For provincial regulators and for PENN, the AGCO fine is a reminder of the execution risks in customer experience. Operational obligations in regulated markets such as Ontario and Alberta include controls on offer communications and correct handling of promotional transactions. Industry discussions on partnership execution often appear in [B2B coverage](/b2b).

PENN framed the agreement as a step to serve NFL fans in Canada and to strengthen synergies between its media platform and its wagering offer. The company continues to operate in Ontario and Alberta and maintains its brand portfolio in the Canadian market.

"theScore Bet gives us new ways to serve those fans throughout the football season," Hergianto concluded.

For anyone tracking sports betting and regulation in Canada, deals of this kind and actions by bodies such as the AGCO signal where authorities and leagues are concentrating rights and oversight.