Ontario gamblers can now access theScore Bet via its familiar app and online.
The change comes after the Toronto-based brand released a desktop version of its popular Ontario online casino and sportsbook.
Previously, players could only access theScore Bet through the app launched last April when Ontario debuted regulated online gambling.
Despite the app-only offering, theScore Bet showed impressive uptake. Download numbers during the market’s first weeks indicated a strong lead for the homegrown operator.
theScore Bet Desktop Offers Players Increased Accessibility
However, ahead of the NCAA’s March Madness basketball championships, theScore Bet expanded its offering to the web. The desktop version of theScore Bet’s digital casino and sportsbook is compatible with modern web browsers, including Safari and Chrome.
According to Noah Levy, theScore’s senior vice president of product management:
Launching desktop is another example of how we’re continually building out our product to best serve customers. The web version increases accessibility, providing another way for fans in Ontario to play with theScore Bet, browse the breadth of available markets and enjoy their favorite casino games.
For those familiar with theScore Bet’s product, the new desktop option shares the same features, markets, and online casino titles. Additionally, users can view lines, odds, and related content without registering or logging on.
Penn International’s Canadian concern is solely active in Ontario after last year’s decision to withdraw from the US.
In the US, Penn shifted focus to Barstool, an infamous gambling subsidiary tied to Dave Portnoy.
RIP Coolbet: Operator Announces Ontario Gambling Exit
While theScore is expanding its Ontario offering, Coolbet Canada is shutting down.
Earlier this week, the online sportsbook announced that it’s wrapping up its Ontario business next month.
According to an email to customers, Coolbet will halt services at 11:59 p.m. on April 3, as its one-year registration ends.
RIP coolbet in Ontario pic.twitter.com/eY264rjwOi
— Plus EV Analytics (@PlusEVAnalytics) March 16, 2023
Before Coolbet went live in Ontario’s regulated market on April 4, 2022, the operator served Canadians under a Malta license.
Any operator serving Canadians based on an international license is considered unregulated and exists as a gray market site. In plain speak, gray market operators are deemed illegal under Canadian law. However, that law is near impossible to enforce. So many operators still accept Canadian players.
Transitioning those gray operators and players to the legal, regulated market was one objective of Ontario’s gambling shift.
With its time in Ontario dwindling, the first step in Coolbet’s transition begins on March 21, when it turns deposit options off.
Once that occurs, low-balance players choose to play with those remaining funds or top up the balance to withdraw funds. Minimum withdrawal amounts for Coolbet’s financial providers are $1 (Interac) and $0.01 (Trustly).
The next day, March 22, the online casino and sportsbook will close. At this point, any bets still unsettled due to an unknown outcome will be voided and refunded.
Finally, on March 23, the operator will release bonus funds from wagering requirements. From there, customers have until 11:59 p.m. on April 3 to transfer any remaining balances.
However, to avoid any hiccups, it’s likely best to reclaim money sooner than later.
Despite its abrupt exit, Coolbet left Ontario players with an upbeat message:
Thank you for all the good times, and always remember … Stay Cool. Bet Responsibly.
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