theScore Bet Secures Official NFL Sportsbook and Casino Rights Across Canada

PENN Entertainment has secured a multi-year agreement with the National Football League that makes theScore Bet an official NFL sportsbook and iCasino partner in Canada. The rights extend across theScore Bet, theScore Casino and Hollywood Casino and apply in the company's two live Canadian provinces, Ontario and Alberta. The deal includes NFL trademarks, team branding, the Super Bowl, NFL Kickoff and other league marketing assets.

What theScore Bet NFL partnership gives PENN in Canada

The agreement allows PENN to build customer-facing marketing and product activity around major NFL moments including the Super Bowl, the NFL Draft, NFL Kickoff and the postseason. The rights package covers league advertising, hospitality, digital media, fan engagement assets and access to NFL Canada database marketing opportunities. Media exchanges are permitted across NFL and theScore digital channels, and PENN can participate in selected fan events.

PENN already integrates theScore's media app with theScore Bet sportsbook. That integration supplies scores, statistics, news and alerts to millions of Canadian sports users, creating a direct channel from editorial content to betting and casino products. The NFL rights are cleared to apply across PENN's full Canadian online gaming portfolio rather than being limited to sportsbook activity.

How the NFL deal fits PENN Canada’s sportsbook strategy

PENN can now use the NFL rights to create promotions and cross-product journeys that link editorial touchpoints in theScore app to wagering and casino offers on its platforms, including Hollywood Casino. The structure aligns with existing PENN partnerships: the company already holds long-term rights with the Toronto Blue Jays and works with Golf Canada. Earlier in 2026 PENN added the Canadian Football League under a deal that covers both sports betting and online casino gaming in Ontario and Alberta; that CFL integration includes presenting-sponsor exposure for theScore Bet inside the CFL app.

Justin Hergianto, Vice President of Marketing at PENN Interactive, described the strategic fit:

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

He added:

"With theScore Bet live in Ontario and Alberta and theScore already a daily destination for millions of Canadian sports fans, we're in a unique position to connect sports media and betting with the NFL experiences fans care about."

Two of those provincial markets are already live. PENN launched theScore Bet, theScore Casino and Hollywood Casino in Alberta on July 13, 2026, when that regulated market opened. Ontario remains the company's most important online sports betting market; CEO Jay Snowden said during the August earnings call that Ontario was the largest online sports betting market for PENN by a wide margin.

Regulatory context: the AGCO fine and its timing

The NFL announcement arrives during a busy regulatory and commercial period for PENN's Canadian operations. On October 6, 2026, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario issued Score Media and Gaming Inc. a monetary penalty of $200,000 after finding two cash-out offers shown to a customer in connection with a $1,000 parlay could not be redeemed as presented. The customer attempted to accept offers of roughly $380,000 and later just under $100,000; neither transaction completed and the underlying bet ultimately lost. AGCO imposed the maximum monetary penalty available under the applicable rules.

AGCO's action is separate from the NFL agreement but adds regulatory context as PENN scales marketing behind theScore Bet in Ontario. The regulator named Score Media and Gaming Inc. in the penalty notice; PENN's Canadian brands continue to operate under the licences that allow activity in Ontario and Alberta.

Competitive landscape: NFL rights and rivals in Canada

The NFL has granted official sportsbook partner status to multiple operators in Canada, and PENN's agreement adds to that set. BetMGM also holds official NFL sportsbook partner status in Canada, though BetMGM's deal does not extend to its casino product. PENN's arrangement differs because it explicitly covers both sports betting and iCasino across theScore Bet, theScore Casino and Hollywood Casino.

For operators and platform vendors the practical implications are clear: NFL-aligned marketing increases the value of integration between editorial media and wagering products. Suppliers that can link content delivery, targeted database marketing and campaign execution into the wagering and iCasino ledger will be preferred by operators building NFL-season activations.

What this means for Canadian bettors and operators

Consumers should expect visible NFL-branded promotions across PENN's Canadian properties during the 2026–27 football calendar, including activations around the Super Bowl and other marquee events. The arrangement gives PENN access to NFL hospitality and fan events, which can be used for high-value customer experiences.

Operators expanding into or scaling in Ontario and Alberta must also take regulatory track records into account. PENN has signalled positive early volumes in Alberta and says it intends for Alberta to become one of its leading interactive gaming markets. At the same time, the AGCO penalty illustrates how quickly a product or marketing misstep can lead to enforcement and fines in Ontario.

Practical next steps for B2B partners

Vendors should prioritise integrations that support cross-channel campaign execution and theScore media-to-wager journeys. Marketing tooling needs to support database marketing opportunities granted under the NFL collaboration, and providers of player-engagement and loyalty systems should prepare to handle event-driven flows tied to NFL dates. Suppliers that can demonstrate compliance controls and rapid audit trails will be in demand given Ontario's recent enforcement action.