Launching a Sportsbook for Millions of Sports Fans

theScore is one of the top mobile sports apps with millions of daily users in North America, and the integration of sports betting was a goal for the company — and a want from our users.

In an industry where user experience is an afterthought, the team was focused on delivering the best betting experience for bettors. We leveraged the design look and feel from theScore to achieve cohesion between brands and maintain familiarity for existing users.

We launched theScore Bet in our first operating state (New Jersey) in Fall 2019, and in Canada in Spring 2022.

Research

With limited access to external users due to the sensitivity of the project, we leaned on internal bettors and domain experts to pressure-test our assumptions. It wasn't a perfect setup — but it kept us grounded in real betting behaviour rather than designing in a vacuum.

Decisions

Most of the strategy and early decisions were already in motion when I joined. That meant getting up to speed fast, identifying where design could still move the needle, and finding the highest-leverage moments to push quality forward — even within constraints that were already set.

Timing

The timeline was tight and engineering was already in motion alongside us. Major design polish had to happen post-launch, which meant being ruthless about prioritization — focusing on what would matter most at launch, and building a backlog for everything else.

Unify the Design

We respected the existing design look and feel from the theScore app to strive for one cohesive brand and experience — to build brand recognition and harmony within our ecosystem.

Keep it Simple

Sports betting can be complicated. We distilled the experience so that users can efficiently achieve their task and provide a hand when needed.

Be Transparent

We focused on making users feel secure and in control by being transparent, especially when it comes to personal information, being upfront and setting expectations.

theScore Bet launched in New Jersey in Fall 2019 and expanded to Canada (Ontario) in Spring 2022.

32K Sign-Ups

Within the first 24 hours of our launch.

4.7 Stars on the App Store

"Overall, the ScoreBet is a very easy and user friendly app to use."

4.4 Stars on the Play Store

"I can't say enough how much I'm loving this app and I got 4 sports bet apps total."

Tech Restrictions

Sometimes the ideal experience or designs weren't possible due to technical constraints. Not only did we work with our internal devs, but we also worked with an external team that powers our odds, and another that provides game data. For the launch, it was crucial that we worked closely with our engineers to land on solutions that were feasible on all sides.

Edge Cases

There were a ton of edge cases we had to plan for — it felt like our edge cases needed edge cases, especially when it came to geolocation. What happens if I'm placing a bet in a moving vehicle while crossing the New Jersey state line? Or what happens if I'm in the middle of betting and the odds change? We had to think through every possible scenario. And then do it again for every new state launch.

Strict Regulations

Since the gaming industry was new to all of us, we worked closely with the legal team to understand the constraints. A lot of the time, they couldn't give us a firm answer right away. As a design team, we needed to be flexible and pivot quickly if needed.

Responsible Gambling

We always want to ensure we're prioritizing the user's safety. As much as gambling can be fun, it can also be addictive. We wanted to be thoughtful with our design choices, so we balanced the business and user needs throughout.