Barstool Sportsbook is no more.
As of Nov. 14, the online sportsbook was rebranded ESPN Bet. The change came after PENN Entertainment reached a $2-billion, 10-year agreement with ESPN, which resulted in PENN selling the Barstool brand back to founder Dave Portnoy for $1.
"Barstool has been a great partner and we are thankful to Dave Portnoy, Erika Ayers, Dan Katz and their team for helping to rapidly scale our digital footprint across 16 jurisdictions in the U.S. and introducing their audience to our retail and digital products," PENN president and CEO Jay Snowden said in a statement.
So what of Barstool Sportsbook's user base? What happens to their accounts, their funds, and their pending bets? We'll attempt to provide some answers to those burning questions.
What happened to the Barstool Sportsbook?
Barstool Sportsbook closed for good on Nov. 14 and was rebranded ESPN Bet. The new app and website is available in 17 states: Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. PENN also reached a deal between ESPN BET and the Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina.
Do those with Barstool Sportsbook accounts need to sign up for an ESPN BET account?
Barstool Sportsbook customers are encouraged to download ESPN BET, as their account information will transition to PENN's new online sportsbook. The payment methods, log-in information, and settings will be unchanged for active and existing accounts, Barstool assures its former customers.
What will happen to my account funds?
Account balances and any pending or open bets will also transition to ESPN BET and will be unchanged.
Will I be able to view my Barstool Sportsbook betting history in ESPN Bet?
Customers' betting history on the Barstool Sportsbook will be available to view on the ESPN BET platform as well.
More ESPN BET data from Jefferies. According to a recent report, the ~235K ESPN BET downloads on day one was a daily record for sportsbook apps.
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) November 27, 2023
ESPN BET is also accounting for 77% of downloads among leading apps since launching, ahead of DraftKings with 8% and FanDuel at 7%. pic.twitter.com/qVVYuwun9b
ESPN BET launched before Thanksgiving in the U.S. and enjoyed a successful opening week. There were more than 1.2 million downloads of the ESPN BET app in the two weeks after the launch, and the roughly 235,000 downloads on the first full day of availability represented a record, though it came with some caveats. It became No. 1 in "top free apps" on iOS Store after its debut.
ESPN BET is offering $200 in bonus bets as a sign-up bonus to new customers. No ESPN BET promo code is required. Alternatively, new customers can opt instead for a 100% deposit match of up to $1,000.
"We're extremely proud to introduce ESPN BET and look forward to delivering an exceptional customer experience to fans across the U.S.," Snowden said. "Our successful launch is the culmination of months of hard work across both teams and we could not be more excited to roll out ESPN BET in partnership with ESPN."
