ESPN BET: ESPN Sportsbook Review

The hype was finally realized as ESPN Bet launched on November 14, 2023. This came following a $1.5 billion agreement between ESPN and PENN Entertainment to take over their sports betting brand, which Barstool Sports previously utilized.
 
With it taking over the Barstool space, ESPN Bet is already in numerous states—17 to be exact.
 
Now that ESPN Sportsbook is here, some excellent new-player welcome offers exist. If you had an account with Barstool Sportsbook, though, unfortunately, that account does carry over to ESPN Bet, and you won’t be eligible. 
 
Whenever there’s a new online sportsbook on the scene, discovering its ins and outs is always exciting.

With that, you can expect the USA Legal Betting team to keep you updated on all things ESPN Bet through our reviews and updates about the platform as time goes on.
 
Let’s dive in and see what new players can expect and ultimately answer the question, “Where is ESPN Bet legal?” 
 

With the transition taking place and ESPN Bet taking over the PENN Entertainment brand, ESPN Bet immediately launched in 17 states

Upcoming Launches 

With a platform like ESPN Bet that PENN Entertainment and ESPN back, there’s no telling what they’ll do next. They’re aiming to become one of the heavy hitters in the industry. 

Top Bonuses and Promotions

Right now, ESPN Bet offers players four promotions and a rewards program. We’ll touch on them below.

Note: Some of these are short-term offers that may not be available when you explore the site, but they’re here to illustrate what kinds of promotions you can expect for events in the future.

• Bet and Get $200 In Bonus Bets: With this welcome offer, you’ll receive $200 in bonus bets when you wager at ESPN Bet. These are split into four $50 bonus bets.
• $1000 Deposit Bonus: Alternatively, a new player can opt for a 100% deposit bonus worth up to $1,000. With this offer, instead of getting bonus bets, you’ll get “Eligible Cashback.” You’ll receive 5% cashback on all sportsbook wagers up to the initially deposited amount.
• Elle Green Special Market: The odds of the Georgia Bulldogs winning the National Championship are boosted from +225 to +275.
• Seeing Green: Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow To Combine for 500+ Passing Yards and 4+ Passing Touchdowns (Boosted from +350 to +450 for Week 11 TNF).
• PENN Play Program: This rewards program has five tiers that you ascend the more you wager. Each tier includes new rewards, special offers and promotions, a 10% cruise discount, complimentary stays for cruise liners, and more.

Terms and Conditions Information

• Bet and Get $200 In Bonus Bets: You must be a new player who’s never had an account at ESPN Bet or Barstool Sportsbook. Create a new account, wager, and receive four $50 bonus bets.
• $1000 Deposit Bonus: You must be a new player creating a new account. When you deposit, it’ll be matched at a 100% rate, and you’ll be entitled to that back as cashback as you wager. 5% of all sports betting wagers you place will be sent to you as cashback. You must use the cashback within 30 days.
• Elle Green Special Market: Expires November 18, 2023.
• Seeing Green: Expires November 16, 2023 at 8:15 PM ET.

Overview of Other Potential Bonuses

The sportsbook promos at ESPN Bet are excellent, with two short-term offers and a choice between two welcome bonuses. In the future, we would like to see more long-standing offers, such as something players can consistently look for. These could include parlay insurance, profit boosts, and refer-a-friend programs

Creating an account in any of the legal states ESPN Bet  operates is simple and easy. Below, we’ll provide a step-by-step guide on how to accomplish this. If you’d like more information about registering at an online sportsbook, check out our betting guides.

1. Go to the ESPN Bet website or download the ESPN betting app available for iOS and Android users.
2. Click “Sign Up” in the upper right of the page.
3. Provide personal information, including your name, address, date of birth, contact number, email, and last four digits of your social security number. You’ll also need to provide a copy of your government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license or passport.
4. After completing this, it will ask to track your location with geolocation to confirm your location in a legal ESPN Bet state.
5. During the registration, you can set up two-factor authentication.

ESPN Bet offers players nine payment methods. Methods like Skrill, Venmo, and PayPal are available. One notable method that isn’t available is PayNearMe.

ESPN Bet also has nine withdrawal methods available, many of which are the same as the deposit methods.
 
Debit Card, Online Banking, ACH/E-Check, PayPal, Skrill, Venmo, Cash Cage at Hollywood Casinos, Wire Transfers, or Check by Mail.

ESPN Sportsbook has come out of the gate hot with numerous sports betting markets to choose from.  

• Baseball
• Basketball
• Beach Volleyball
• Boxing
• Cricket
• CS:GO
• Cycling
• DOTA2
• Football
• Golf
• Hockey
• Lacrosse
• League of Legends
• MMA
• Motorsports
• Rugby Union
• Soccer
• Table Tennis
• Tennis
• TV & Culture
• Volleyball
• Winer Sport

ESPN Bet Betting Markets

Football

NFL

ESPN Bet is staking their claim as one of the best NFL betting sites right out of the gate with promotions centered around NFL games with the “Seeing Green” promotion. As for betting markets, you can bet on the moneyline, point spread, totals, props, parlays, and more. ESPN Bet also added an option to bet “No” on a player scoring a touchdown—a wager you don’t ever see at other online sportsbooks, adding to the intrigue of betting on the sport here.

Super Bowl

• ESPN Bet will be around to be a betting site during the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl happens in February. It launched in November. It’ll have some time to combine its “newness” with an exhilarating offer to attract new players.

NCAA Football

• Like the NFL, ESPN Sportsbook will aim to become one of the best sites for betting on NCAA Football, with its Elle Green promotion and numerous betting markets, including the individual games, bowl season, the College Football Playoff, and futures betting markets.

Basketball

NBA

ESPN Bet has numerous markets for the sport, including betting on the NBA Finals, other futures bets, and odds boosts that you can digest right on the homepage of the NBA betting page. Time will tell how it’ll be as a betting site for the NBA.

NCAA Basketball

If you’re hoping ESPN is a betting site that has NCAA Basketball, you’re in luck. Here, you can bet on individual games, futures betting markets, and the NCAA Tournament.

March Madness

We’ll have to wait and see what kind of March Madness betting site ESPN Sportsbook will be, but with ESPN having a robust bracket challenge, that could be integrated into the sportsbook.

Baseball

MLB

It’s difficult to gauge what kind of MLB betting site ESPN Bet will be since, at the time of this ESPN Bet review, MLB is in the offseason, but right now, they have markets for here for betting on the World Series, pennant winners, and Shohei Ohtani’s next team.

Hockey

NHL

ESPN Bet has plenty of betting markets for the game, much like other betting sites that have NHL markets. In addition to betting on the Staley Cup, you can bet on individual games and several futures betting markets.

Golf

ESPN Bet offers futures betting markets on the  PGA Championship, Masters, U.S. Open, Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup, and more.

NASCAR Auto Racing

NASCAR betting isn’t currently available at ESPN Bet as the sport is in its offseason after the November 5 championship.

Boxing

It’ll take time to see how ESPN shakes out as a  boxing betting site. There are markets available for the big fights, and odds boosts are available, though.

MMA

ESPN Bet is one of the  MMA betting sites you can visit, offering markets on the UFC and Bellator. Compared to other UFC betting sites, there are some favorable odds for select matchups on each card.

Horse Betting

Horse betting isn’t available at ESPN Bet. 

Soccer

Judging by the betting markets, ESPN Bet is aiming to become a contender as one of the better soccer betting sites.There are ample markets here worldwide, including 33 countries and a plethora of leagues.

Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS)

Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) isn't available at ESPN Bet.

Tennis

Not many sites offer both betting on tennis and table tennis, but ESPN Bet does. As for “actual” tennis, there are numerous betting markets here for each tournament, including live betting.

ESPN Bet Sportsbook: Sportsbook Team Partners

ESPN Bet is a brand new online sports betting platform, so there are no partnerships at this current time. That said, we expect this to change rather soon.

ESPN Bet Sports Betting: Difference In Markets

While sports betting is available in many areas, there are nuances between all legal sports betting states. Below, we’ll fill you in on some of those differences.

• ESPN Sportsbook OH: No restrictions on college sports betting.
• ESPN Sportsbook MD: No restrictions on college sports betting.
• ESPN Sportsbook CO: College props not allowed.
• ESPN Sportsbook IL: Cannot bet on in-state teams or props.
• ESPN Sportsbook IN: No live betting props available.
• ESPN Sportsbook IA: No college prop betting.
• ESPN Sportsbook KS: No restrictions.
• ESPN Sportsbook MI: No restrictions.
• ESPN Sportsbook NJ: No wager on in-state state teams or games.
• ESPN Sportsbook PA: No wager on college player props.
• ESPN Sportsbook VA: No wager on games involving in-state college teams or props.
• ESPN Sportsbook WV: No wager on props.
• ESPN Sportsbook KY: No restrictions.
• ESPN Sportsbook AZ: Cannot wager on college props.
• ESPN Sportsbook LA: No restrictions.
• ESPN Sportsbook: MA: Cannot bet on an in-state team unless they’re in a tournament.
• ESPN Sportsbook TN: Cannot wager on player props or in-game college team props.

We’ll start by mentioning that ESPN Bet has introduced a new betting market, specifically for football, including the NFL and college football. For Any Time TD props, you traditionally wager whether a player will score a touchdown and have the odds for betting on them to score a touchdown. Well, at ESPN Bet, you can wager “No” instead of only being pigeonholed to select who will score. This seems minor, but it’s not—this isn’t a market you’ll find at other sportsbooks.
 
As far as ESPN betting odds go for wagers that are more universally found, ESPN Bet is extremely competitive, especially out of the gate, so don’t expect any surprises in a negative way there. You’ll be provided with great odds and a new betting market to engage with. 

Desktop Experience

ESPN Bet is coming out swinging to compete with the top betting sites in the industry.

When you log onto the homepage, you’ll find that the color scheme is quite minimalist, which is great as you can see the various menu options. At the top of the page are links to live betting, the homepage, your betting history, promotions, login/register, and a search bar. 

Below this, you’ll find a menu for the available sports with icons associated with them. The promos, with graphics, are just below that. The menu on the left provides quick links to sports and leagues, but also odds boosts.

The bet slip is straightforward, with options for single wagers, parlays, and teasers that become active depending on the number of things you add to the bet slip.

The bottom of the page also has important links to FAQ, Support, How to Bet, State Specific Terms, Promos, and more.

Mobile App Experience

Keeping in mind that ESPN Bet recently launched in November 2023, compared to the top betting apps, it holds up nicely. The resources of ESPN, meshed with PENN Entertainment, certainly help, but still, credit where credit is due.

The mobile app is like a condensed version of the desktop site.

When you open it, you’ll see a menu with the sports, boosts, and Quick Bets, with Featured bets right below that.  

The account icon in the upper right next to the signup/login buttons provides links to the promos page, as well as information about Responsible Gaming and Help, which lead to the various customer support options, including Live Chat.

There’s a menu along the bottom of the ESPN sports betting app for the homepage, your betting history, live betting, and a search option.

Mobile Web Browser Experience

There’s no mobile web browser experience for ESPN Bet, as the mobile site will direct you to a download link.

ESPN Bet is a brand-new sportsbook, so not having a plethora of features is to be expected. Below is what’s currently available

Live Betting: Engage in wagering on games as they unfold, participating in live betting markets like moneyline, point spread, totals, props, and more

Cash Out: Gain the ability to exit a bet prematurely while considering how the wager is doing. This allows you to safeguard a portion of your wager or collect on a winning amount that's not quite the amount you would get if you saw the bet through but enticing enough not to risk a loss.

At the bottom of the ESPN Bet page, you’ll find links to the FAQ and Support. You can access the FAQ and get links to Email and Phone Support here.

• FAQ: Here, you’ll find articles about payment methods, uploading documents, updating information, and more. There are just a few articles, but the site is brand new, so we expect this to grow in time.
• Telephone: 844-953-2121 
• Email: [email protected]
• Live Chat: Only available on the mobile app, it seems.

The FAQ section is small but answers pressing questions players will have, such as banking information and uploading documents to confirm your identity.

ESPN Bet is in a bit of unique spot in taking over for PENN Entertainment. The licenses were already approved for PENN Entertainment with Barstool at the helm, but each state did need to provide an OK for ESPN Bet to take over in their states.
 
Below are the governing bodies responsible for such decisions.

• ESPN Bet Sportsbook Ohio: The Ohio Casino Control Commission
• ESPN Bet Sportsbook Maryland: The State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency
• ESPN Bet Sportsbook Colorado: Colorado Divison of Gaming
• ESPN Bet Sportsbook Illinois: Illinois Gaming Board
• ESPN Bet Sportsbook Indiana: Indiana Gaming Commission
• ESPN Bet Sportsbook Iowa: Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission
• ESPN Bet Sportsbook Kansas: Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission
• ESPN Bet Sportsbook Michigan: Michigan Gaming Control Board
• ESPN Bet Sportsbook New Jersey: Division of Gaming Enforcement
• ESPN Bet Sportsbook New York: NYS Gaming Commission
• ESPN Bet Sportsbook Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
• ESPN Bet Sportsbook Virginia: Virginia Lottery
• ESPN Bet Sportsbook West Virginia: West Virginia State Lottery
• ESPN Bet Sportsbook Louisiana: LGCB
• ESPN Bet Sportsbook Kentucky: The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission
• ESPN Bet Sportsbook Arizona: Arizona Department of Gaming
• ESPN Bet Sportsbook: Massachusetts: The Masssachusetts Gaming Commission
• ESPN Bet Sportsbook Tennessee: The Sports Wagering Council

In taking over PENN Entertainment’s sports betting brand, ESPN Bet currently holds the sports betting platform. Barstool did have an online casino, but ESPN isn’t currently linked to that.

No. There’s no online poker available at ESPN Bet.

Currently, ESPN Bet only exists as an online sportsbook for gaming products.

The $1.5 billion deal between ESPN and Penn Entertainment cannot be overstated more—it was a massive deal for the sports betting industry to see a sports industry titan in ESPN launch their own branded sportsbook. Moving forward beyond 2023, ESPN Bet will look to go toe-to-toe with some of the top brands like DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, BetMGM, and more.

It’s difficult to judge a sportsbook that’s so new, like ESPN Bet. However, considering the hype surrounding the product before the launch, we feel confident in giving it a thumbs up based on what’s here. There are numerous betting markets, especially for E-Sports and other topics like TV & Culture. There are exciting promotions, and the user interface design is excellent. The only “con” so far is the lack of live chat on desktop, but if that’s the biggest issue, you’re in a good place.

We’ll be anticipating new ESPN Bet features throughout the rest of 2023 and beyond.