Penn to Debut ESPN Bet Platform at New York ESPN Edge Conference

After months of preparing, Penn Entertainment announced that they will finally debut their new ESPN Bet platform. They will give bettors their first look at the new sportsbook at the ESPN Edge Conference in New York on November 9. Penn is set to launch ESPN Bet in mid-November, but the Edge conference will provide a preview of what bettors can expect.

“The ESPN Edge Conference continues to build momentum into year three with engaging conversations around the advancements in sports media technology,” said ESPN VP Kevin Lopes in a press release. “This year, some of the industry’s brightest minds will highlight their recent successes, how they hope to impact the future, and what it all means for the fan.”

The new online sportsbook will be replacing Barstool’s after Penn dropped them as a partner over the summer. Barstool is currently available in 17 states, giving ESPN Bet a significant presence soon after launching. 

Given the sports media giants’ popularity, many expect the sportsbook to become a top industry player quickly.

Barstool Controversies Stoke Fears Over ESPN Bet

Barstool’s foray into the sports betting industry did not go smoothly. While the sportsbook fared well, they ran into several controversies surrounding how they used their media personalities to promote the sportsbook or specific bets. One example came from a bet one of their personalities promoted a “Can’t Lose Parlay” to attract users to the sportsbook. 

Many states have specific rules and regulations on how sportsbooks can promote themselves. States like Massachusetts argued that Barstool violated those rules by promoting a bet as a guaranteed win. Barstool has argued the media personality who promoted the parlay was famous for being a lousy bettor, making the “Can’t Lose Parlay” title more satirical than a serious statement. Even though the Barstool sportsbook will soon be closing, Penn continues to deal with the fallout.

Given that ESPN has an even more significant media presence, many states have expressed concern over how they will be involved with promoting the sportsbook. Penn has not been forthcoming with those answers, but we may learn more once they debut the new platform.