ESPN Bet Cleared for NY Launch After Regulatory Approval
Penn Entertainment, the parent company of ESPN Bet, has secured key license approval to operate in New York.
Chris Rogers hinted that ESPN Bet will launch in the state within several days.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:On Monday, September 23, the New York State Gaming Commission approved the transfer of Wynn Resorts’ digital sports betting license to Penn Entertainment.
The greenlight came after Penn agreed to purchase the license from Wynn Resorts for $25 million as the latter ceases operations in the state.
Penn Entertainment and ESPN had planned to launch by August’s end, but the NYSGC’s delayed vote pushed back their plans before finally getting cleared for takeoff yesterday.
With the approval in the bag, Penn can now introduce ESPN Bet, its online and retail sports betting brand, to New York bettors. ESPN Bet was rebranded from Barstool Sportsbook in November 2023 and has gone live in 17 states, including Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, New Jersey, and North Carolina.
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ESPN Bet to Launch Within Days
During the NYSGC hearing, Penn Entertainment’s executive vice president, Chris Rogers, hinted that ESPN Bet will launch before the weekend or within several days in New York, with just a few technical checks remaining.
The timely debut will coincide with Week 4 of the NHL, allowing the brand to leverage the increased interest in hockey to drive sign-ups and deposits. Given WynnBet’s limited impact in New York, a commissioner noted that ESPN Bet’s launch will likely attract fresh customers rather than existing ones. Rogers agreed, citing the brand’s potential to expand market share by attracting new bettors with a unique platform experience.
At the meeting, commissioners expressed concerns about the potential risks of sports betting on college students, particularly males, given ESPN’s weekly College GameDay events on campuses during football season.
We take it very seriously about not targeting college students in our marketing efforts and there’s obviously discussions around betting on college sports as part of our editorial. From an ESPN perspective, that is one thing that leads to increased engagement from the audience that already has an interest in betting.
New York’s online sports betting market is the largest in the US, featuring leading operators like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Bally’s, Caesars Sportsbook, and Rush Street Interactive.
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