PENN Entertainment launched three separate betting and casino apps in Alberta on July 13, the day the province opened its regulated online market to private operators. The company went live with theScore Bet Sportsbook & Casino, a standalone theScore Casino and a standalone Hollywood Casino, all available on iOS, Android and web from day one.
The launch makes Alberta PENN’s second regulated Canadian province after Ontario, where it runs a single combined product. Entering Alberta with three brands at once gives PENN a wider day-one footprint than it built in Ontario, and sets up a test of whether a multi-brand approach captures more players than a single bundled app.
Three brands, three funnels
Most operators enter a new province with one flagship app. PENN is splitting its offer instead. theScore Bet bundles sports betting with the sports-media content that theScore is known for, putting live scores, news and statistics in the same interface as same-game parlays, player props and live in-game wagering. The casino side of that app adds slots, table games and live dealer titles, including branded content such as Blue Jays Blackjack.
The two standalone casino apps target players who want neither the sportsbook nor the sports-media layer. Hollywood Casino is the older brand, built on PENN’s US land-based casino network and already running online in several states. theScore Casino is the newer, Canada-first product, aimed at users who know the theScore name from sports coverage but want a casino app with no betting markets attached.
Running all three under one Alberta licence gives PENN three separate acquisition funnels rather than one. It also splits marketing spend three ways from launch, and only pays off if the company can promote each brand without cannibalising its own budget or drawing players away from theScore Bet.
Leaning on sponsorships, not first-mover advantage
PENN is neither first nor alone in Alberta. FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars and bet365 are among the operators that registered for the market, and more than 15 went live on opening day alongside the government-owned Play Alberta platform.
With no first-mover edge to lean on, PENN is using its sponsorship portfolio to stand out. theScore Bet is the exclusive official gaming partner of Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays, the exclusive gaming partner of Golf Canada, and an official gaming partner of the National Hockey League and the PGA Tour. The company is marking the launch with summer fan-engagement events, including a Toronto Blue Jays Jersey Swap promotion.
Aaron LaBerge, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Interactive at PENN Entertainment, tied the entry to the province’s sports following.
“Alberta has an incredible sports culture, and we’re excited to bring theScore Bet Sportsbook & Casino to players across the province. Fans already know and trust theScore, and with theScore Bet, we’re extending that connection into a sportsbook and casino experience. We commend the Alberta government for introducing a regulated online gaming market for private operators and look forward to serving fans in one of Canada’s great sports markets.”
How the Alberta market is structured
Alberta opened its commercial iGaming market at midnight on Monday, July 13, becoming the second Canadian province after Ontario to allow private online sports betting and casino operators under provincial oversight. The framework is set out under the iGaming Alberta Act and regulated jointly by the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) and Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC).
AGLC has registered 50 operators, 58 critical gaming systems providers and 14 platform providers. Operators that did not launch on day one will enter later, once they complete commercial agreements with the AiGC. The registered field also includes BetMGM, PointsBet, Betway, 888, Bally’s, Pure Casino Entertainment and River Cree iGaming.
The structure mirrors the model that has run Ontario’s market since 2022. Alberta’s government has projected C$76 million in proceeds from the market’s first year alone.
Ontario gives PENN one regulated market against which to judge its brands. Alberta, with a denser field of rivals live on day one, will show whether the three-app strategy holds up when the competition is heavier and the marketing budget is split.
Source: PENN Entertainment
