theScore Sportsbook Strikes Agreement with Caesars; Opens Illinois Market
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theScore Sportsbook, owned by Score Media and Gaming Incorporated announced that it has finally secured an avenue to one of the biggest mobile sports gambling markets, Illinois. The Toronto-based company has an agreement in place with the Harrah’s hotel located in Illinois, the Harrah’s Joliet Hotel & Casino. Harrah’s is owned by Caesars Entertainment.
The next step for theScore Sportsbook is to apply for licensing and get approval from the overseeing regulatory bodies in Illinois, mainly the Illinois Gaming Board. The announcement stated that it is attempting to get launched in the state by the second-half of 2021. It is unclear if theScore Sportsbook will be accessible by retail with a brick-and-mortar location within the Harrah’s Joliet Hotel & Casino, but this move was primarily to launch its mobile app, theScore Bet.
In a statement provided by John Levy via theScore’s Twitter account, he explained, “Gaining market access to Illinois is a significant development that will bring our award-winning mobile sportsbook to one of the most populous states.”
theScore in American Markets
So far, theScore has entered the American gambling market in New Jersey, Colorado, and Indiana. It has seen some success, but Illinois may be the biggest prospect yet for the sportsbook. While New Jersey does have a larger market when it comes to pure sports handle, Illinois is more populous. On top of that, there are fewer sportsbooks in Illinois, and theScore can most likely capture a larger market share.
This will be a massive state for theScore in America to see just how big it can get. Other major states that have just launched include Michigan, Virginia, and Tennessee. These are three places that theScore might be eyeing in terms of its next expansion. For now, the company will want to make sure the transition from partnership to launch goes smoothly in the Prairie State.
The Canadian Sports Betting Market
theScore is based out of Ontario, Canada, and there are rumors that Ontario will be the first province to allow online sports betting if federally legalized. Currently, the federal government in Canada is working on legalizing single-game betting. Following this, each province can then choose to legalize, similar to the system in the United States.
This could be a major boost for theScore as this would be home-turf. It is very likely that theScore Sportsbook and the app theScore Bet could be among the first to launch in Ontario and other provinces, allowing it to gain access to a large market chunk.
However, for now, theScore still needs the Canadian government to legalize single-game betting before the provinces even begin to look at legalizing sportsbooks and online sports wagering.
All-in-all, the Illinois market will be a big one for the size of theScore’s sports betting operation as it currently stands, but the Canadian market could be the largest and most significant move for this sports betting company. Hitting on the Canadian market will be a must if theScore wants to enlarge its company and compete with the major North American bookmakers like DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM.
