PENN Entertainment announced on Monday a national multi-year partnership between its sportsbook platform theScore Bet and the Canadian Football League (CFL). The agreement grants theScore Bet the status of Official Authorized Gaming Operator of the league. The announcement came one week after the platform's launch in Alberta and covers at least two regions where the brand operates in Canada — Ontario and Alberta.
The deal includes joint fan activations, expanded digital engagement, and enhanced content support for the league within the theScore ecosystem. For the sportsbook, it strengthens its position in the Canadian sports betting market; for the CFL, it provides additional commercial and marketing support amid growing competition among operators.
The 2026 Season and the Grey Cup in Calgary Set the Pace for Activations
The 2026 CFL regular season kicked off on June 4 and will conclude on November 15 with the 113th Grey Cup final in Calgary. Joint activations by both parties are planned for the remainder of the current season, though the partnership is not limited to a single year and will continue in subsequent seasons.
How Both Sides View the Value of the Partnership
PENN Interactive's VP of Marketing Justin Herjianto described the partnership as "natural," emphasizing the special place the CFL holds in Canadian sports culture. He noted that theScore aims to create a more connected experience for fans — from tracking scores and news to managing a fantasy team and placing bets.
CFL Chief Revenue Officer Tyler Keenan, for his part, noted that Alberta is home to some of the most dedicated football fans in the country. The upcoming Grey Cup in Calgary, in his view, opens additional opportunities for audience engagement and the creation of innovative formats for interaction with the game.
Alberta Opened Its Doors to 15 Operators Simultaneously
The betting industry has traditionally been popular among CFL fans, and the mass entry of operators into Alberta only confirms this trend. The online casino segment is also growing: according to analysts, no-deposit bonuses have played a significant role in attracting new audiences. The information we reviewed from industry sites shows that such bonuses are becoming increasingly common. These incentives lower the barrier to entry and increase the overall flow of users into the iGaming ecosystem, which in turn boosts the financial returns from advertising integrations within sports competitions. For the CFL, this means growing commercial appeal of partnerships with gaming operators like theScore Bet, particularly in provinces with recently opened regulated markets.
theScore Bet officially launched in Alberta and began accepting bets shortly after midnight on July 13 — the moment the province opened its regulated commercial betting market. On that first day in Alberta, approximately 15 operators entered the market simultaneously, making the launch one of the most large-scale simultaneous rollouts in the history of Canadian iGaming.
The tie-in with the CFL in this context appears logical. Alberta is home to two league teams — Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Elks. As noted in the PENN Interactive press release, five of the CFL's nine clubs now play in provinces where theScore Bet is available, significantly expanding the platform's audience reach.
theScore Media App to Expand League Content
The partnership extends beyond betting. The theScore media app — historically one of the most popular sports aggregators in Canada — will broaden its CFL coverage through enhanced league content and new audience engagement initiatives.
theScore Bet Becomes Title Partner of CFL Fantasy
Less than two months before the national partnership announcement, the parties agreed on theScore Bet's status as title sponsor of the CFL Fantasy game. This is a free product that allows fans to build rosters from real players and compete in seasonal leagues — both public and private.
In addition, theScore Bet serves as title sponsor of the upcoming CFL app. The sponsorship provides integration of match scores and betting odds across three products:
the league app,
the theScore media app,
the theScore Bet sportsbook platform.
PENN's Canadian Geography and the Competitive Landscape
The partnership covers Ontario and Alberta. In addition to theScore Bet, PENN operates the online casino platforms theScore Casino and Hollywood Casino in these two regulated iGaming markets.
The CFL, however, is not limited to a single gaming partner. The league has a multi-year deal with ToonieBet (a brand of Soft2Bet), as well as a renewed and expanded agreement with FanDuel Canada covering Ontario and Alberta. It was the partnership with FanDuel, signed in July 2023, that made that operator the league's first authorized gaming partner.
The national agreement with theScore Bet cements the platform's presence within the CFL's structure and includes activations and enhanced digital content throughout the 2026 season and beyond — with a focus on provinces where the product is already live, including Alberta following its recent launch.