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ESPN BET Live in New York After Soft Launching Before Official Rollout

Ziv Chen

Last Updated: September 27, 2024 1:42 PM EDT • 2 min 7 sec read.

New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard scores a touchdown as we look at ESPN BET's soft launch in New York.
New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard scores a touchdown. Photo by: David Gonzales/Imagn Images.

New York residents have long had access to a many of our best sports betting sites. As of Sept. 26, another contender has entered the ring.

Bettors in the New York sports betting market can now wager at ESPN BET after a soft launch on Thursday, with a Penn Interactive spokesperson confirming that there will be an “official rollout tomorrow.” The sportsbook’s New York debut coincides with the fourth week of the NFL season, and the fifth week of college football. 

Months in the making

The soft launch comes only days after Penn received the green light to launch from the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC), following the company’s acquisition of Wynn Interactive. The company had originally planned to have launched in time for the start of the NFL season, but this launch was delayed pending regulatory approval. 

Starting in February, Penn Entertainment undertook a seven-month-long process to obtain the now defunct WynnBet’s New York sports betting license for $25 million. ESPN BET replaces the defunct operator as New York’s ninth sportsbook and will soon be offering ESPN BET promo codes.

Chris Rogers, the chief strategy and legal officer and secretary of Penn Entertainment, says that ESPN BET’s launch as a New York sports betting app will serve to “expand the market” in the state. “That’s been our experience in other jurisdictions where we’ve launched,” says Rogers. “We think we’re attracting a new bettor. And while there could be some shifting and cannibalization of existing operators, we think we are growing the market.”

Rogers also notes how yesterday’s soft launch attracted a “wave of adoption,” with a notable number of sign-ups and deposits from first time bettors. “Based on the surveys we’ve done of new customers, we believe we are attracting new customers who are new to betting.”

College betting concerns

While the NYSGC allows New Yorkers to wager on college events that take place in New York, wagering on in-state collegiate teams or making player props bets is prohibited and you can't find those wagers using New York sportsbook promos. Brian O’Dwyer, chair of the NYSGC, emphasized the importance of ESPN BET not marketing its platform to college students, saying the NYSGC was “very, very worried and upset” about the potential harms.

 In response, Rogers said: “we as a company are committed to avoiding the promotion of sports betting on college campuses. This is an issue very near to our heart given our partnership with ESPN, which has various college [programming], including College GameDay. Our commitment at Penn in addition to our partners at ESPN is to make sure that we are in adherence to all requirements related to promotion of sports betting on college campuses.”

ESPN BET's US expansion

New York marks ESPN BET’s 19th US market entrance. The operator is already live in the Arizona sports betting, Colorado sports betting, Illinois sports betting, Indiana sports betting, Iowa sports betting, Kansas sports betting, Kentucky sports betting, Louisiana sports betting, Maryland sports betting, Massachusetts sports betting, Michigan sports betting, New Jersey sports betting, North Carolina sports betting, Ohio sports betting, Pennsylvania sports betting, Tennessee sports betting, Virginia sports betting, and West Virginia sports betting markets.

It also marks Penn Entertainment’s New York debut. Penn’s Barstool Sportsbook never received a New York betting license during its time in operation, and rebranded to ESPN BET in 2023 after the company signed a 10-year agreement with ESPN for $2 billion. The company has high hopes that its New York launch will help recover the 9.7% revenue loss year-over-year that was reported in Q2  

Written By:
Ziv Chen
Ziv has over two decades of experience in the igaming and sports betting industry, having served in senior marketing and business development positions with both B2C and B2B companies, including Playtech and Microgaming. In 2019, Ziv decided to pursue his passion for writing and became a fulltime industry journalist, covering casino, sports, and gambling business news. He’s specialties include casino games and technology, US state gambling regulation, company performance, as well as gambling affiliates and marketing. As a Pitt graduate, Ziv is a diehard fan of all Pittsburgh sports teams, with the Steelers at the top of the list. In his free time, he enjoys reading crime fiction, biographies (mainly of sports personalities, but not only) and American history. Ziv’s Favorite quote: “We're going to pursue perfection, knowing full well we won't catch it, but we're going to relentlessly chase it," Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach.