theScore Bet ReviewThe ESPN Bet Successor, Judged on What It Changed

The cleanest way to read theScore Bet is as an ESPN Bet account with a new coat of paint and a different owner of the brand name. PENN Entertainment ended its exclusive ESPN deal on November 6, 2025, and the app switched names on December 1. Nothing about that tells you whether the sportsbook is good. So we went looking for what is actually different, and for what we could and could not confirm.

One note on method. Three of the four sites we needed blocked our test machine, so we did not open a funded account for this review. What follows comes from the store listing, PENN's public deal terms, press coverage and the app's own artwork. Where a number is third-party, we say so.

What the rebrand really changed

According to reporting from Sports Video Group, PENN had agreed in 2023 to pay ESPN $150 million a year in cash, plus stock warrants, over a ten-year term. Either side could walk after year three if market-share targets were missed, and they did. ESPN moved to DraftKings. PENN kept the customers and the licences, and took the name of the Canadian media brand it bought in 2021.

For a bettor, the useful facts are practical. Press coverage reports that logins, balances, open wagers and responsible gaming settings carried over, and that the app now runs in roughly twenty US states, including Missouri since its launch. Availability lists disagree from site to site, so check your state before you download anything.

The welcome offer, and why it is a refund and not a gift

The store artwork leads with First Bet Reset, up to $1,000, paid in bonus bets. Read that phrase slowly. It is a refund of a first losing bet, in site credit, and the small print says the offer changes by location. Bonus bets generally do not return the stake when they win, so a $1,000 refund is worth well under $1,000 in cash terms. We would treat it as a modest insurance policy on one bet, not a reason to pick a sportsbook.

The app, from the listing

The Apple listing shows version 26.21.1, released November 6, 2026, a 232 MB download and a 4.8 average from about 224,000 ratings. That is a very large sample, and a score that high says users like how the app runs. It does not say the prices are good, because people rate screens and speed, not margins.

The markets on show are standard for a US book: spreads, totals and moneylines, with a same game parlay badge on live games. The listing also names NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, golf (PGA Tour and LIV) and motorsport, plus custom parlays, teasers and cross-sport parlays. None of that is unusual in 2026. What would be unusual is sharper pricing than FanDuel or DraftKings, and we found no independent hold figures to support it.

Profit boosts and live streams

The recurring promotions are the part that may matter week to week. The listing describes daily offers made up of bonus bets, bonus spins and credits, plus profit boosts that raise the payout on a selected bet.

A boost is only worth taking when the boosted price beats the best price anywhere else. Check one against two other books before you accept it. The same discipline applies to streaming: the listing says registered users with a funded account can stream over 150,000 live events a year, with restrictions and blackouts.

Where it falls short

Three gaps stand out. First, we could not verify withdrawal times, and the only figure we saw (one to five days, from an aggregator) had no source. Second, the footprint is smaller than the biggest rivals, since DraftKings alone operates in 28 states plus Washington, D.C. and Ontario. Third, the ESPN audience is gone. ESPN drove more than 2.9 million new users into PENN's ecosystem, and that marketing engine now belongs to a competitor.

Who should use it

If you already hold an ESPN Bet account, nothing forces you to leave, and the app is the same product with a new logo. If you are choosing from scratch, open it as a second or third book for the boosts and the streams, and keep your main bankroll with whichever book prices your sport best.

Betting carries real risk, and it is not a way to make money. The house takes a margin on every market, most people lose over time, and promotions can tempt you to stake more than you planned. Set a deposit limit before your first bet. In the US, free confidential help is available at 1-800-GAMBLER.