The November 20 version of Monday Night Football goes above and beyond your typical matchup. The teams include the Chiefs and the Eagles in a matchup of last year’s Super Bowl competitors.
Oh, and ESPN Bet will be in operation to enjoy it all. The betting app will debut on November 14, according to ESPN and its partner PENN Entertainment.
The betting app is not available to download but a trailer plugging the app can be viewed with SportsCenter anchor Scott Van Pelt at ESPNBET.com.
ESPN Bet is eligible for licensing in 17 states: Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
ESPN also announced the popular Daily Wager program will be rebranded as ESPN Bet Live beginning November 10, according to Sports Handle.
PENN Entertainment signed a 10-year partnership with ESPN to create an online sportsbook to replace Barstool Sportsbook. PENN sold Barstool back to its founder Dave Portnoy for a dollar.
ESPN will receive $1.5 billion over 10 years for use of the ESPN name, and ESPN has the right to purchase $500 million in warrants for the acquisition of 31.8 million shares of PENN stock.
PENN hopes to achieve a 20 percent market share with the ESPN Bet sportsbook product.
In related news, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) approved the debut of ESPN Bet on November 7.
Regulators will require additional information on preventing ESPN personalities from talking betting with its audience.
The MGC did not throw in any new restrictions to PENN’s online sports betting license. Instead, the regulators will receive a final set of guidelines ESPN is preparing for its employees and on-air talent.
Chris Rogers, PENN’s chief strategy officer, said guidelines expect to be final by week’s end. Rogers provided a list of restrictions the PENN and ESPN will abide by.
PENN employees are barred from betting in a location owned by their employer. Since ESPN is not an operator, “its employees’ employer does not own or operate any platform and therefore ESPN employees are not barred from wagering.”
“ESPN will continue to report on news as it always has, while PENN will separately and independently manage the sportsbook. PENN will not have access to ESPN’s news-production software,” Rogers said.
PENN will be the entity responsible for running the sportsbook while ESPN will be a marketing partner, integrating ESPN Bet odds into ESPN programming.
The advertising for ESPN Bet is supposed to focus on responsible gaming messaging and cannot target those under 21. Or use “glorify” reckless wagering, “risk-free” or “can’t lose”
“College GameDay” announcers will not bring up the sportsbook to their in-person audience, Nor will signage tout ESPN Bet.
