ESPN BET has officially launched in full across New York with all markets and betting promos now available at the newest sportsbook in the Empire State.
A soft launch a few days before the complete ‘go live’ on September 27 was how ESPN BET entered the New York sports betting scene. That followed the New York State Gaming Commission’s approval of its gambling license a few days prior.
The immediate aim for ESPN’s New York sportsbook, which is operated by Penn Entertainment under the ESPN brand, will be to quickly gain market share in the state’s ultra-competitive betting industry. ESPN Bet joins eight other licensed legal sportsbooks in New York.
ESPN Bet hit the Big Apple with one of the biggest sportsbook promos of any betting app currently. New users can claim a welcome bonus worth up to $1,000 with a 100% First Bet Reset. You’ll also get up to an additional $500 in bonus bets when you make an initial wager, thanks to a 200% first deposit match.
Joined up with the ESPN app and ESPN fantasy app, the Disney-backed sportsbook will also feature on the broadcaster’s coverage of sporting events.
Commenting on its New York launch, PENN CTO Aaron LaBerge said ESPN BET will provide New Yorkers with “an unparalleled, integrated betting and media experience”, going on to describe the sportsbook’s possibilities as “limitless”.
New York is the 19th active U.S. jurisdiction for ESPN Bet as it extends its reach across the US and now into the nation’s biggest sports betting market.
The state has long been a target for Penn Entertainment and its latest sports betting app. The limitation of licenses in New York to just nine for mobile sports betting operators barred the way until Wynn Resorts agreed to sell its license to Penn Entertainment earlier this year in a $25m deal.
Penn Entertainment almost broke into the New York market previously, when it tried to enter the state back in 2021 via its Barstool sportsbook. The entertainment, sports betting, and casino company then had another knockback when an attempted bid in conjunction with Fanatics Betting and Gaming and Kambi also failed.
The Fanatics sportsbook subsequently went live in New York in March 2024, after taking over the license previously held by PointsBet.
ESPN BET is hardly off to a standing start in New York then, with knowledge of the market and a strong presence elsewhere. That’s boosted considerably with access to an existing customer base thanks to the popularity of the ESPN brand in the sports broadcasting and content sectors.
As the football season in particular gathers steam, fall and winter will be big seasons for the top NFL sportsbooks, with ESPN BET now finally and officially among them in New York.
