AGCO fines theScore.Bet $200,000 over cash-out offers it did not honour
Ontario's regulator says two cash-out offers on a $1,000 parlay, worth about $380,000 and nearly $100,000, could not be delivered as shown to the player.
By Mara Quinn, Regulation editor
- The AGCO issued a $200,000 monetary penalty to Score Media and Gaming Inc., which operates theScore.Bet.
- The case concerns a $1,000 multi-leg parlay placed on March 14, 2025, with a potential payout above $1 million.
- TheScore offered cash-outs of approximately $380,000 and then almost $100,000, and neither was paid.
- The Registrar found neither offer was achievable as presented, breaching Standard 4.07 of the Standards for Internet Gaming.
- The AGCO described $200,000 as the maximum monetary penalty available.
Ontario's gaming regulator has fined theScore.Bet's operator $200,000 after a bettor accepted two cash-out offers on a large parlay and received nothing for either one.
On Tuesday, October 6, 2026, the AGCO, which stands for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, announced the penalty against Score Media and Gaming Inc. It said the offers shown to the player could not actually be delivered, which breaches the province's player protection rules.
What happened
The case centres on a $1,000 parlay placed on March 14, 2025. The bet required the player to pick correctly across several NHL, NBA and NCAA basketball games played that day. A clean sweep would have paid more than $1 million.
According to the AGCO, every leg but one had already won when theScore put an offer to cash out for approximately $380,000 in front of the player, who took it at once. During automated verification, however, theScore rejected the transaction after the odds changed.
Four minutes on, theScore presented a second offer to cash out, for almost $100,000. The player again accepted immediately, and again the transaction was not honoured. The parlay eventually lost, and the player received no payout.
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Monetary penalty | $200,000 |
| Stake | $1,000 |
| Bet placed | March 14, 2025 |
| Potential payout | More than $1 million |
| First cash-out offer | Approximately $380,000 |
| Second cash-out offer | Almost $100,000 |
| Gap between offers | Four minutes |
The Registrar concluded that neither offer could have been achieved as it was presented. The Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming include Standard 4.07, which is the basis for the action. That standard bars operators from giving players information, before or during play, that misleads them or misstates what a game offers. This includes showing results or payouts that cannot be delivered.
The release alleges that theScore broke the standard and thereby violated the Gaming Control Act, 1992 (section 3.8).
Why it matters
The AGCO called $200,000 the maximum monetary penalty available. In the release, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr said: "By imposing the maximum monetary penalty available, we are sending a clear message that these expectations are not optional."
The regulator also said operators must ensure that every gaming opportunity on offer is accurate and can be delivered as described. It framed trust in the honesty of licensed sites as central to Ontario's regulated igaming market, which it presents as a safer alternative to unregulated gambling sites.
The AGCO also stressed that its action is separate from any route a player may have to resolve an individual dispute. Operators remain responsible for handling complaints under Ontario and Canadian law.
What's next
An operator that receives an Order of Monetary Penalty has 15 days to ask the Licence Appeal Tribunal for a hearing. The tribunal is part of Tribunals Ontario and operates independently of the AGCO.
Sources
- 1.AGCO issues $200,000 penalty to theScore.Bet over misleading cash-out offers · AGCO Ontario (agco.ca), accessed 7 Oct 2026Primary
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