TheScore has inked a deal to become an authorized gaming operator of Major League Baseball.
The sports media company also owns theScore Bet Sportsbook, which will be launching in Indiana soon.
Once it comes online, theScore Bet will be the state’s eighth online sportsbook. Until then, Caesars Sportsbook is still the new kid on the block in the Hoosier State.
Back in May, the Indiana Gaming Commission gave theScore Bet its temporary vendor license. That’s the first big step toward launching a sportsbook in the state.
It’s been mostly silent since then, but an MLB deal like this finally shows some movement on theScore Bet’s side.
A July launch in Indiana for theScore Bet?
The timing of theScore Bet’s new deals suggests that the sportsbook could be launching sometime this month in Indiana.
That would make sense since both the NBA and MLB are all returning to action at the end of the month.
TheScore’s new deal with the MLB is similar to the one it signed with the NBA back in January.
Since most of the major sports have been gone for months now, the MLB and NBA will generate a ton of betting interest. TheScore Bet won’t want to miss out on that action.
Coming online before both of those leagues return could be the difference between a great launch in the Hoosier State and a lackluster one.
TheScore could have waited a while to get an MLB deal in place. The fact that it didn’t suggests that it wants to be ready for when the season starts this month.
If it’s able to launch in time, theScore Bet will find itself in the mix with Indiana’s other online sports betting apps as they fight for the attention of Hoosier bettors.
Penn National gives theScore Bet Indiana access
Right now, theScore Bet is only available in New Jersey. That won’t be the case for long.
The company’s deal with Penn National Gaming gives theScore Bet a chance to partner up with Penn’s casinos. Now the sportsbook has market access to 11 different states.
In Indiana, theScore Bet will be hopping onto Ameristar East Chicago’s license. Ameristar is one of Penn’s casinos, and it’s already the land-based partner of DraftKings Sportsbook.
TheScore Bet will certainly be looking to expand to as many states as possible in the future. Indiana is just one of those states, with launches in Colorado and Michigan also on the horizon.
MLB data will help personalize theScore
Data is a big piece of the pie for every sportsbook, but it’s even more important for theScore Bet than it is for other companies.
That’s because of the unique approach that theScore Bet has for sports betting.
It offers personalized betting options to customers by integrating its sportsbook with its regular sports app.
TheScore’s sports app is similar to its competitors like ESPN and Bleacher Report since it lets you personalize the app however you like.
When you download theScore sports app, you’ll select your favorite teams and your favorite leagues. Then, when you switch over from the regular app to the sportsbook, theScore Bet will use your favorite teams to give you custom betting options based on what you like.
For example, if you’re a big Pacers fan, you’ll see a bunch of Pacers-related bets when you first fire up theScore Bet app.
However, theScore Bet can only give you personalized options if you use its regular sports app. If the company doesn’t know what you like, it can’t provide you with those tailor-made options.
That’s why MLB data is vital for the sportsbook in Indiana specifically.
If you’ve never told the company what your favorite football team is, but you live in Indiana, theScore Bet will probably assume that you’re a Colts fan. Or at least, that’s a solid guess that the sportsbook can use as a starting point.
But since Indiana doesn’t have its own MLB franchise, the sportsbook doesn’t have a go-to team to work with.
So are you a fan of the Reds, Cubs, Cardinals, White Sox, or a completely different team? The data that theScore Bet is getting from its new MLB deal will help them find that out.
