Penn Entertainment is converting 10 additional casino sportsbooks to ESPN Bet locations following its $1.5 billion, 10-year partnership with ESPN. This expansion comes after Penn sold Barstool Sports for $1 in August 2023.

The new ESPN Bet locations include:

• Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs (Iowa)
• Hollywood Casino Grantville, York, and Washington (Pennsylvania)
• Hollywood Gaming Youngstown and Dayton (Ohio)
• Ameristar Casino Black Hawk (Colorado)
• Ameristar East Chicago and Hollywood Lawrenceburg (Indiana)
• Hollywood Casino Charles Town (West Virginia)

These additions join existing ESPN Bet sportsbooks in Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, and Ohio. The sportsbook is now available online in 19 states.

Hollywood Casino York will launch its ESPN Bet facility on Saturday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1 pm before the NFL Playoffs kickoff.

Current Market Position:

• ESPN Bet controls 3-4% of the legal sports betting market
• FanDuel and DraftKings dominate with 74% combined market share
• ESPN integration includes odds in daily programming
• Customers can link online accounts to ESPN Bet mobile app

Penn's transition to ESPN Bet follows its unsuccessful Barstool Sports venture, which faced regulatory challenges. The company had invested $527 million in Barstool before selling it back to Dave Portnoy for $1, following licensing difficulties and regulatory concerns.

The ESPN partnership allows Penn to leverage ESPN's brand recognition and multi-platform reach while utilizing its own operational expertise in sports betting. The company aims to increase market share through enhanced engagement and personalized betting experiences across the ESPN ecosystem.

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