Ontario’s gambling regulator hit theScore with a CA$105,000 penalty this week. That’s about $76,500 in US dollars.
The fine targets Score Media and Gaming, the company behind theScore’s betting operations. AGCO found the operator didn’t step in when a player showed clear signs of problem gambling. The customer wagered roughly CA$2.5 million over eight months, and lost CA$230,000 of it.
Why This Case Caught AGCO’s Attention
The player’s first month set off alarm bells. They lost nearly CA$100,000 in just 30 days.
But theScore didn’t act on what AGCO calls obvious red flags. The customer kept asking for bonuses. They chased losses. Staff noticed emotional distress.
The operator took the player’s word about their finances instead of checking properly. AGCO says the income documents didn’t add up, yet theScore accepted them anyway.
That breaks multiple sections of Ontario’s Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming. These rules require operators to watch player behaviour closely. They must prevent gambling harm. Staff need training to spot problems early.
What TheScore Did Wrong According to AGCO
The investigation found theScore’s monitoring systems failed. The company didn’t identify high-risk patterns quickly enough.
When warning signs appeared, the operator didn’t verify the player’s financial situation. AGCO considers this a serious breach. Income verification matters when someone’s losing thousands weekly.
TheScore also didn’t follow its own safer gambling protocols. The Standards require intervention when players show distress or chase losses repeatedly.
AGCO CEO Dr. Karin Schnarr put it bluntly: “Player protections are a fundamental requirement for any gambling operator looking to conduct business in Ontario.”
She added that operators who ignore these standards “betray the trust of their players” and damage Ontario’s regulated market.
How This Enforcement Changes Things
TheScore can appeal. Ontario’s Licence Appeal Tribunal handles regulatory disputes like this one. It’s an independent body, so the operator might challenge AGCO’s findings there.
But the penalty sends a message to other licensees. AGCO just fined Casino Days CA$54,000 for misleading bonus offers. Now this.
The regulator says it’ll keep enforcing these Standards across all registered operators. That means more scrutiny of how companies handle high-risk players. Income verification will probably get stricter.
Operators need better systems to catch problem gambling early. The CA$105,000 fine shows AGCO won’t accept relying on self-reported finances when losses pile up fast.
