Will ESPN BET Launch in New York Prior to NFL Week One?

Jan 5, 2020; Boulder, Colorado, USA; General view of a ESPN broadcast microphone before the start of the game between the Oregon State Beavers against the Colorado Buffaloes at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

• ESPN BET has still not launched in New York
• PENN Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden said ESPN BET would launch in New York in late August and prior to college football
• Will the Empire State’s newest sports betting operator be ready by week one of the NFL season?

In early August, PENN Entertain CEO Jay Snowden reported ESPN BET would launch in New York by “late August” and at least prior to the start of the college football season.

August has come and gone. Florida State has already lost twice in the college football season. ESPN BET is still dark in New York.

With the NFL season kicking off this Thursday, will ESPN BET be ready to launch in the largest sports betting market in the country?

Week One Kicks off Thursday

Snowden announced ESPN BET would launch in late August during PENN Entertainment’s Q2 earnings report on Thursday, Aug. 8.

While the launch was well received, Snowden also reported that due to high tax rates (New York currently taxes online sports betting at 51% of gross gaming revenue) the ESPN BET launch would likely not feature the robust promos and bonuses for users as in other state 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.

Despite his announcement, ESPN BET is still shuttered in the Empire State. ESPN BET representatives have not revealed to Sports Betting Dime any potential start dates for the newest sports betting operator as the calendar moves even further into September.

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 be up and running in New York, the most robust sports betting market in the entire country.

The operator has remained silent as to a New York launch. The Kansas City Chiefs take on the Baltimore Ravens this Thursday, Sept. 5, at 8:20 p.m. to kickoff the season, a marquis matchup that is surely to drive many customers to place bets. The NFL also features a special international game on Friday, Sept. 6, as the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Green Bay Packers.

But if ESPN BET does not launch in the state during those days, it likely has its eyes on either Sunday, Sept. 8 for the full slate of games (including the New York Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings at 1 p.m.) or at the very latest Monday, Sept. 9, to take advantage of the Jets playing the 49ers during Monday Night Football.

ESPN BET Gained NY Access Through Wynn

ESPN and PENN have long coveted access to the New York sports betting market, announcing a deal to acquire Wynn and its prized New York online sports betting license in February.

PENN Entertainment announced a deal for WSI US, LLC, from Wynn Interactive Holdings for $25 million. WSI US, LLC, is the entity that hold the company’s online sports betting licenses that were issued by the New York State Gaming Commission in 2021.

PENN Entertainment announced it would launch ESPN BET in New York sometime in 2024 after the acquisition.

PENN Entertainment was one of the initial applicants through its Barstool Sportsbook partnership when New York opened its licensing process in 2021 for its nine initial online sports betting licenses.  PENN and its Barstool Sportsbook brand partnered with Fanatics Betting and Gaming and Kambi for a joint application. The three companies projected its bid could result in $1 billion in incremental tax revenue for the Empire State over a decade.

Ultimately, the New York State Gaming Commission did not accept the group’s bid.

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