ESPN Bet Launches in New York

Penn Entertainment's ESPN Bet has gone live in the state of New York, marking the 19th state in which the brand is active.

The Empire State will represent the largest market in which ESPN Bet is active, although it faces stiff resistance from the likes of FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and many others. The brand will be taking advantage of its large viewership and sports personalities to help bolster the brand, using the likes of Stephen A. Smith and Mike Greenberg to draw customers in.

The New York State Gaming Commission approved of the company's gaming license on September 23rd, later than was anticipated, as Penn executives had hoped to be live in time for the NFL season launch at the beginning of the month. The approval was unanimous, and space for ESPN Bet was created when WynnBet pulled out of the market. New York has a hard cap of nine sportsbetting platforms in the state.

Regarding the launch, Penn Entertainment CTO Aaron LaBerge said: "We're excited to launch ESPN BET in New York and introduce our sportsbook to the largest regulated online sports wagering market in North America. This launch expands our digital footprint and brings ESPN BET to a state where ESPN has a significant presence."

Players must be of legal age and physically located in the state of New York at the time of wagering in order to participate.