PENN Entertainment To Rebrand Eight Retail Sportsbooks Into ESPN BET

Exactly a year after PENN Entertainment the rebranding of its sportsbook to ESPN BET, the company has revealed its plans to rebrand eight retail sportsbooks over the next two months, subject to regulatory approvals. The relatively new name in the industry offers some of the best sportsbook promos.

The announcement noted that some properties are expected to open this month, including Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway, Plainridge Park Casino in Massachusetts, and L’Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge in Louisiana. 

The remaining properties, including Hollywood Casino Perryville in Maryland, Hollywood Casino Toledo and Hollywood Casino Columbus in Ohio, and L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles and Margaritaville Resort Casino Bossier City, both in Louisiana, should open in September.

“Each sportsbook features a premium viewing area and dining options, providing a unique experience for sports fans to be able to keep up with all the action,” said ESPN in the press release.

About The Rebrand

In August 2023, PENN Entertainment partnered with ESPN to launch ESPN BET, a new sportsbook brand for the US market. As part of this $2 billion licensing deal, PENN planned to rebrand its sportsbook operations across 16 states under the ESPN BET name.

PENN has licenses to run online sportsbooks in the Arizona sports betting, Colorado sports betting, Iowa sports betting, Illinois sports betting, Indiana sports betting, Kansas sports betting, Louisiana sports betting, Massachusetts sports betting, Maryland sports betting, Michigan sports betting, New Jersey sports betting, Ohio sports betting, Pennsylvania sports betting, Tennessee sports betting, Virginia sports betting, and West Virginia sports betting markets.

You can check it out if you live in one of those regions by using our ESPN BET promo code.

At the same time, PENN Entertainment recently faced a setback with the announcement of layoffs affecting roughly 100 employees. This move is part of a "new phase of growth" as PENN focuses on enhancing operational efficiencies and integrating ESPN BET into its portfolio. 

Coming To The Big Apple

Continuing to grow the ESPN BET footprint, PENN Entertainment announced in February that it will acquire Wynn Interactive Holdings' New York sports betting licenses. This acquisition, valued at $25 million, will provide PENN access to the New York sports betting market, enabling PENN to launch ESPN BET in New York later this year. 

In a Q2 earnings call held on Aug. 8, Jay Snowden, CEO and president of PENN Entertainment, announced that ESPN BET will launch in New York on Aug. 24, before the first college football game of the new season.

“We’ve tried to time it so that all of these feature enhancements that we’ve talked about would be live when we go live in New York so that [we make] a great first impression,” said Snowden.

The Expansion Continues

The only ESPN BET retail sportsbook currently open is at Hollywood Casino at Greektown in Detroit, which debuted in April. The spaces offer around 4,500 square feet of betting and dining space, with a 30’ video wall, big-screen TVs, and high-tech wagering kiosks.

“We’re thrilled to open the first ESPN BET retail location in Detroit and become part of a community of deeply passionate sports fans,” said Mike Morrison, Vice President, ESPN BET and ESPN Fantasy. “We want fans to come embrace a first-class betting experience and we’re excited to showcase the ESPN BET brand in a contemporary space.”