Barstool Sportsbook is coming to an end. For those who use the platform to place their bets, beware. ESPN Bet is launching on Nov. 14, 2023. PENN Entertainment, the developer of Barstool, is transitioning the whole sportsbook to a different app, with a different brand: ESPN.
“We are extremely excited to announce the planned launch of ESPN BET prior to the active Thanksgiving week sports calendar,” said Jay Snowden, CEO and president of PENN Entertainment. “That includes the NCAA college football rivalry week and the Super Bowl rematch of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles televised on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.”
PENN Entertainment announced the move through a press release. They released all the details in the document, but among many things, they said that at first, ESPN Bet will be available in 17 states. The reason is because Barstool already had licenses to operate in those states. It is not clear yet when or if they plan to expand it.
“Finally, we are excited to announce that we plan to simultaneously launch ESPN BET on Nov. 14 across the 17 states in which we operate online sports betting, subject to final approvals,” the press release read. “This strategic alliance is expected to further expand our digital ecosystem and drive re-engagement with the millions of customers in our digital and retail databases, leading to compelling cross-sell opportunities.”
These are the states that ESPN Bet will operate starting at Nov. 14, the launching date:
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
ESPN Bet in Canada
Another big market for American sportsbooks is their neighbour, Canada. Although the regulations are different, many big bookies also invest in the market. DraftKings, FanDuel, Bet365, and BetMGM are among the most used bookies in the U.S. also operating in Canada. Barstool/ESPN Bet, however, operates under a different name. They go by “theScore Bet”, and it will not change for now.
