theScore Bet is now an officially licensed sportsbook of MLB Players Inc. (MLBPI), the business arm of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).

MLBPI and OneTeam Partners announced a new partnership with theScore’s parent company PENN Entertainment on Wednesday. The new partnership officially designates theScore Bet in Canada as an officially licensed sportsbook of the MLBPI, while PENN’s U.S.-facing brand ESPN Bet is the American partner in the deal.

It means that theScore Bet can now use MLB players’ names, likenesses and images on its online and mobile sportsbook, as well as in their marketing assets and promotional campaigns. So, expect to see a range of prominent MLB names faces used next to theScore Bet’s logo, not just the likes of Toronto Blue Jays stars Vladdy Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and George Springer.

Toronto-based theScore Bet has been the gaming partner of the Jays since 2022 via a 10-year exclusive deal. The brand has a strong presence in the franchise’s Rogers Centre stadium.

“As baseball season gets underway, we’re excited to offer fans an enhanced betting experience that includes player likenesses, expanded wagering options and a more dynamic product,” said PENN Interactive VP of Operations Jason Birney. “Partnering with MLB Players Inc. strengthens our connection to the league and its star players and creates additional opportunities to engage fans throughout the season.”

The MLBPI already has a similar partnership with Fanatics Sportsbook in the U.S., as confirmed to SBC Americas by Fanatics in October, and another with FanDuel that spans both north and south of the border.

MLBPI sued non-partner sportsbooks

Only MLBPI officially licensed sportsbooks can incorporate this information into their platforms, as multiple other sportsbooks have found out in stark fashion in recent months.

The union filed a lawsuit against DraftKings and bet365 in a Pennsylvania court and a separate lawsuit against FanDuel and Underdog Sports in New York Supreme Court in September 2024.

MLBPI later dropped FanDuel from the New York lawsuit and announced a partnership in November that made the company an officially licensed sportsbook in both Canada and the U.S.

Meanwhile, in the Pennsylvania suit, bet365 was withdrawn as a plaintiff on the same day that Judge Karen Marston ruled the case could move forward. No similar licensing deal has been announced between bet365 and the MLBPI despite bet365 being struck from the lawsuit.