industryprofile
BETTING ON HOME ADVANTAGE
With one of North America’s leading sportsbooks in hand, theScore is laying plans for the possibilities offered by potential legalized single-event sports betting. BY TOM NIGHTINGALE
theScore Chief Operating Officer Benjie Levy is animated when discussing where sports betting might go in Canada. “WE'RE TREMENDOUSLY excited by what we've achieved so far and what we think we're going to be able to do going forward in our home country,” says Levy. “More than that, though: this is an astronomical opportunity for the entire Canadian market.” That opinion voiced by Levy, who runs the day-to-day operations of Canada’s number one digital sports media brand, is one being echoed from all corners of the Canadian gaming industry. U.S. SUCCESS
As sports betting legislation continues to be debated in parliament with all-party support and a wave of momentum behind it, the opportunities are clear if you look at what’s been happening south of the border. Around half of U.S. states now offer some form of legal sports betting, with several taking steps forward just last fall. The success sports wagering has seen is huge, with exponential growth. 20 | Spring 2021
THESCORE HAS BEEN PREPARING.
The company’s mobile sportsbook, theScore Bet, was the first to launch in North America and currently operates in four states – New Jersey, Colorado, Indiana, and Iowa – after launching first in New Jersey in September 2019. The company has a 20-year partnership deal with Penn National Gaming which gives them market access to offer online and mobile sports betting and iGaming applications in the 11 states where Penn National operates casinos and racetracks. “Our experience to date in our U.S. markets has reinforced our view that you have to stand for something: you have to be differentiated, you have to be product-led, you have to give consumers something that's compelling and different,” emphasizes Levy. “Our current operations are just the start. We have a significant market access footprint through our deal with Penn National. As states come online, both within that footprint with
Penn and beyond, we're looking to be active participants in that market. Even with states accelerating their consideration of sports betting, we’re still in the first inning of what this is going to be.” INTEGRATING BETTING AND SPORTS MEDIA
A recurring topic in recent times, with the exponential growth of sports betting in the U.S. and as a prelude to what may come in Canada, has been how sportsbooks and operators can integrate betting and sports media in a single channel. Adding single-event wagers to the current offering of parlay wagers in Canada is one thing, evolving real-time capabilities to combine the betting and the viewing experiences is something else entirely. “Our legacy is approaching sports in a different way,” explains Levy. “We've always looked to cover sports from the perspective of the fan and we've always been open and authentic about gambling as being an integral part of the sports
