theScore Bet, the Toronto-based sportsbook that was one of the first 13 operators to launch in Ontario’s new regulated market, has become the latest brand to secure a milestone partnership by becoming the official gaming partner of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The 10-year exclusive partnership between the sportsbook and Canada’s sole Major League Baseball franchise brings together two best-in-class Canadian organizations to offer fans innovative and exciting ways to experience the game, both at the ballpark and online, says a Score Media release.

The deal makes Penn National Gaming-owned theScore Bet the Blue Jays’ first gaming partner and the Jays the Score Bet’s first professional team sponsorship.

The deal grants theScore Bet exclusive national marketing rights that extend across all gaming categories including sports betting, casino, online casino, and fantasy sports. The Blue Jays and theScore Bet also plan to create a branded, premium, 365-days-a-year, flagship sports bar and restaurant at Rogers Centre that will serve as an entertainment hub and destination for fans.

The partnership also delivers new exclusive in-stadium and digital offerings to Blue Jays fans and theScore Bet users through various sponsorship elements, including two immersive premium seating sections on the baselines, extensive in-stadium branding, in-game features, a host of team-related experiences, and also designates the sportsbook as the presenting partner of the Jays Care 50/50 program.

“The fan experience is evolving and this monumental partnership with theScore Bet offers compelling new ways for sports enthusiasts to be a part of the game,” said Mark Shapiro, President & CEO, Toronto Blue Jays. “We are excited to be partnering with a Canadian company that operates at the highest level of the industry and understands our role in Toronto and Canada, to bring baseball to more fans nationwide.”

“theScore Bet is proudly Canadian and we are thrilled to make Canada’s baseball team our long-term partner,” said John Levy, CEO of theScore. “This is a foundational partnership with a team and organization that is deeply embedded in our country’s sports culture. Teaming with the Blue Jays opens up exciting new exclusive marketing opportunities and brings theScore Bet even closer to a huge audience of passionate and engaged fans, both on-site at Rogers Centre and online across our platforms. With our combined loyal audiences and brand affinity in Ontario, we believe this deal will establish a new standard for team and gaming operator relationships as we pioneer innovative ways to experience and interact with the game.”

Such partnerships have been a recurring theme in recent months as sportsbooks gear up to establish their market position.

PointsBet Canada, for instance, has entered a similar partnership with the Ottawa Redblacks as well as other organizations such as Curling Canada and the NHL Alumni Association. FanDuel has united with major Canadian sports broadcaster TSN in recent days, while the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s PROLINE was last month named the NHL’s official partner in Canada.

It will be interesting to see how the relationship between licensed sportsbooks and the MLB continues, meanwhile, as MLB players can now officially endorse sportsbooks via marketing and ambassadorial deals.