ESPN Bet gears up for New York debut as sports season kicks off

As August draws to a close, the New York sports betting scene anticipates the debut of its newest entrant, ESPN Bet. Earlier this month, Penn Entertainment had set the end of August as the target launch window for the online sportsbook. However, according to recent updates from Newsday, the launch is now expected to occur “sometime in the next few weeks.”

Mark Walker, Executive Vice President for ESPN Bet, told the publication: “We’re ready to go. Just press that button to launch, as soon as New York says we can.”

Walker added that it was “reasonable to believe” that ESPN Bet would be operational in New York within the next month, citing no significant obstacles that might delay the launch.

During Penn Entertainment’s latest earnings call, Chief Technology Officer Aaron LaBerge echoed the expectation of a late August launch. Penn CEO Jay Snowden reinforced this timeline, emphasizing that ESPN Bet would be “live in New York before college football week one.” 

While the first games of the college football season, known as “Week 0,” began this past weekend with a limited schedule, the NCAA's regular season officially kicks off this weekend with 21 games scheduled for Thursday night. Additionally, the NFL is set to start its regular season on September 5.

ESPN Bet is set to replace WynnBet Sportsbook, which ceased operations at the end of July. Earlier this year,  Penn Entertainment acquired WynnBet’s operator license for $25 million.

Despite the dominance of established players FanDuel and DraftKings—who together account for nearly 74% of the total sports betting handle and about 80% of the revenue—Penn Entertainment remains confident in ESPN Bet’s competitive potential.

Walker highlighted that their research indicated a strong demand for ESPN’s involvement in sports betting, particularly among younger fans, many of whom reside in New York. 

“We did the research, and particularly younger fans out there, they feel that there’s a place for ESPN in sports betting,” Walker remarked. “In fact, they insist on it. A lot of those people live in New York.