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ESPN BET Now Accepting Bets in New York, Will Fully Launch Tomorrow

Robert Linnehan

By Robert Linnehan in Sports Betting News

Published:


NFL: New York Giants at Cleveland Browns
Sep 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) celebrates his touchdown with teammates against the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
  • ESPN BET is now accepting bets in New York
  • The operator is undergoing a soft launch in the state
  • PENN Entertainment received approved from state regulators to acquire Wynn Interactive’s New York sports betting license this week

ESPN BET is now live in New York through a soft launch and will officially rollout on Friday, Sept. 27.

A PENN spokesperson has confirmed with Sports Betting Dime that ESPN BET is currently live in the Empire State and accepting bets through a soft launch. The spokesperson confirmed a full launch in the state tomorrow.

A time for the full New York launch is not yet known.

Today is a Soft Launch

The New York State Gaming Commission on Monday unanimously approved PENN Interactive’s acquisition of Wynn Interactive, which includes a sports betting license in the state. During the hearing, Chris Rogers, PENN Entertainment executive vice president, chief strategy and legal officer and secretary, said the operator would soft launch ahead of the weekend, with a full launch coming soon thereafter.

The full launch, as noted above, will come tomorrow in the state.

It’s opportunistic timing for ESPN BET, as the New York Giants take on the Dallas Cowboys during tonight’s Thursday Night Football matchup.

NY ESPN BET slip.

PENN Interactive announced its plans to acquire Wynn Interactive in February and had hoped to launch ESPN BET in New York by the end of August. PENN Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden said during the company’s Q2 earnings report that ESPN BET would likely launch in the Empire State prior to the college and NFL season.

However, news came about several weeks ago that the state gaming commission had yet to even consider PENN’s acquisition plan.

The commission approved PENN’s acquisition of the license. New York State Gaming Commission Executive Director Robert Williams assured the commission that ESPN BET would likely be a boon for the state’s overall sports betting handle.

“Wynn had not been particularly successful in the New York market, so we anticipate a new platform coming in with a highly recognized name like ESPN BET might do better than they have,” he said.

No Promos as of Yet

The soft launch has not included any promos or offers from users. Several will likely be offered when the operator fully launches in New York tomorrow, but likely won’t be at the level that other launched states have experienced.

The high tax rate in New York, 51% of gross gaming revenue, will likely lead to reduced promos or bonuses for New York users. During his Q2 earnings presentation, PENN Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden said promos would likely not be as high in the state when the operator launches.

“We will maintain our disciplined approach to customer engagement when we launch ESPN BET in New York in late August,” Snowden revealed in a press release.

Important Market for ESPN BET

New York will be a key market for ESPN BET. It’s by far the largest market the operator is currently live in and will be a crucial state for ESPN BET to gain ground on the top sports betting operators in the country.

ESPN BET has been slow out of the gates since its Nov. 14, 2023 launch. When PENN announced the ESPN partnership agreement, Snowden said multiple times that he expected ESPN BET to be “on the podium” in many states, meaning one of the top three operators in terms of handle and/or revenue.

However, ESPN BET has struggled to crack the top-three of operators, even the top-five, in many states it’s licensed in. If ESPN BET hopes to gain ground on market leaders FanDuel and DraftKings, it needs a strong NFL performance and it needs to have a quick start in New York, the most robust sports betting market in the country.

Robert Linnehan
Robert Linnehan

Regulatory Writer and Editor

Rob covers all regulatory developments in online gambling. He specializes in US sports betting news along with casino regulation news as one of the most trusted sources in the country.

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