ESPN BET Review

ESPN BET launched in November 2023 as one of the most ambitious partnerships in American sports betting history. Penn Entertainment, the casino giant behind Hollywood Casino and a sprawling portfolio of regional gaming properties, paid an estimated $1.5 billion plus $500 million in stock warrants to license the ESPN name for its online sportsbook. The idea was straightforward and, on paper, brilliant: combine the most recognized sports media brand in the world with a legal betting platform, and the customers would follow. For roughly two years, ESPN BET operated across 18 states, offering competitive odds, same-game parlays, and deep integration with the ESPN ecosystem. Then, in November 2025, the partnership was terminated early. Penn Entertainment rebranded the platform as theScore Bet on December 1, 2025, and ESPN pivoted to a new exclusive arrangement with DraftKings. This review covers the full story of ESPN BET, what went wrong, and what theScore Bet looks like today for anyone still using the platform or considering signing up.

Company Background: From Barstool to ESPN to theScore

Penn Entertainment’s journey through the online sports betting space has been one of the more turbulent stories in the industry. The company first entered the digital betting world through a $163 million investment in Barstool Sports in 2020, eventually acquiring the brand outright and launching the Barstool Sportsbook. That platform struggled to gain meaningful market share against entrenched competitors like DraftKings and FanDuel, and Penn ultimately shuttered the Barstool-branded sportsbook in favor of the ESPN deal.

The ESPN BET partnership was announced in August 2023 and launched on November 14, 2023, in 17 states simultaneously. The agreement was structured as a 10-year deal worth approximately $2 billion, with Penn paying ESPN $1.5 billion in cash installments and granting warrants for 31.8 million Penn shares worth roughly $500 million at the time. ESPN, in return, would integrate the sportsbook directly into the ESPN app, feature it prominently across ESPN broadcasts, and allow Penn to use the ESPN brand for customer acquisition and retention.

The partnership included performance thresholds. If ESPN BET failed to capture a certain percentage of the U.S. online sports betting market within the first three years, either party could exit the agreement. By late 2025, it was clear those thresholds would not be met. ESPN BET never broke into the top five sportsbook apps by market share, consistently hovering below 5% of the total U.S. handle. In November 2025, Penn and ESPN mutually agreed to terminate the partnership. Penn kept its technology infrastructure, its customer accounts, and its state licenses. ESPN walked away with the payments it had already received and immediately signed a new deal with DraftKings, which became ESPN’s official sportsbook and odds provider starting December 1, 2025.

Penn rebranded the platform to theScore Bet, reviving a brand it had acquired in 2021 when it purchased theScore, a Canadian sports media and betting company, for $2 billion. The rebrand was seamless for existing users: account balances, open wagers, betting history, and login credentials all transferred automatically. No new app download was required. The ESPN BET app simply updated itself to theScore Bet through a standard app refresh.

theScore Bet Today: What the Platform Looks Like in 2026

As of March 2026, theScore Bet operates in 21 U.S. jurisdictions, including 20 states and Washington, D.C. The platform added Missouri on launch day, December 1, 2025, making it one of the first sportsbooks to go live in the new market. The full list of states includes Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

The welcome bonus for new theScore Bet users is a $1,000 Bet Reset. Place your first cash wager of up to $1,000 on any market, and if it loses, theScore Bet credits your account with bonus bets equal to the full amount of your losing wager. The refund is issued as five separate bonus bets, each worth 20% of the losing wager. A $1,000 losing first bet, for example, returns five $200 bonus bets. A $500 losing first bet returns five $100 bonus bets. The minimum qualifying bet is $10, and the minimum deposit is also $10. Bonus bets expire seven days after being credited. Multiple promo codes are available through affiliate partners, including GOAL, DIME, and WTOP, though the offer generally activates automatically upon registration without needing a code.

In Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, the welcome offer is different: bet $10 or more on your first wager, and if it wins, receive $100 in bonus bets on top of your winnings. This is a less valuable promotion than the $1,000 Bet Reset available in other states, so bettors in those four states should factor that into their decision when choosing a sportsbook.

Welcome Bonus Expected Value Analysis

The $1,000 Bet Reset is a competitive welcome offer, though it sits below the top tier of sportsbook promotions in March 2026. To understand its real value, you need to calculate the expected value of the bonus bets you receive if your qualifying wager loses.

Assume you place your first bet at -110 odds (the standard vig on point spreads and totals). Your probability of losing is approximately 52.4%. If you bet $1,000 and lose, you receive five $200 bonus bets. Bonus bets at theScore Bet do not return the stake, only the profit. A $200 bonus bet at -110 that wins returns $181.82 in withdrawable cash. At a 47.6% win rate on each bonus bet, the expected value of each $200 bonus bet is $86.55. Five of them yield a total expected value of $432.73.

But you only receive the bonus bets 52.4% of the time (when your qualifying bet loses). The other 47.6% of the time, your bet wins and you just keep the normal winnings of $909.09. So the combined expected value of the promotion is: (0.524 x $432.73) + (0.476 x $909.09) – $1,000 = $226.95 + $432.73 – $1,000 = a net expected profit of approximately $-340. Wait, that math does not work if you include the $1,000 wager as a cost either way. Let me be more precise.

The correct way to frame this: without any bonus, a $1,000 bet at -110 has an expected loss of $45.45 (that is the house edge). With the Bet Reset promotion, your expected outcome changes. If you win (47.6% probability), you profit $909.09. If you lose (52.4% probability), you lose $1,000 but receive bonus bets worth $432.73 in expected value, so your net loss is $567.27. Your total expected value is (0.476 x $909.09) + (0.524 x -$567.27) = $432.73 – $297.25 = +$135.48. That is the promotion’s real expected value above zero: roughly $135 in profit expectation on a $1,000 initial wager.

Compare this to BetMGM’s $1,500 first bet protection, which carries an expected value of approximately $200-250, or FanDuel’s $3,000 No Sweat Token program, which can reach $500-750 in expected value with optimal play over 10 days. theScore Bet’s offer is solid but not market-leading. Where it excels is simplicity: one bet, one potential refund, no multi-day commitment.

Odds Quality and Market Depth

theScore Bet’s odds are powered by Penn Entertainment’s proprietary technology, built on the infrastructure Penn developed after acquiring theScore’s Canadian operations and technology team. The platform offers competitive lines across major U.S. sports, though it does not consistently match the sharpest odds available from market leaders.

On a typical NFL Sunday during the 2025 season, theScore Bet’s point spreads were generally in line with DraftKings and FanDuel, usually within half a point. Standard juice on spreads and totals was -110 on both sides, matching the industry norm. Where theScore Bet occasionally fell short was on player props and alternate lines, where DraftKings and FanDuel offered tighter spreads and more granular options. For example, on a typical NBA game, DraftKings might offer 80 or more player prop markets, while theScore Bet would list 50 to 60.

The platform’s live betting product has improved significantly since the ESPN BET days. Real-time odds update smoothly, and the interface now includes play-by-play integration that draws on theScore’s media heritage. For NFL and NBA games, the live betting experience is genuinely competitive, with quick bet placement and reasonable odds movement. For smaller sports like tennis or soccer, the live markets are thinner, and odds can lag behind what you will find on bet365 or DraftKings.

Same-game parlays are available for all major sports, including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football and basketball. The parlay builder is straightforward, allowing you to combine spreads, totals, and player props within a single game. The correlation rules are standard: you cannot combine obviously correlated outcomes that would guarantee a payout, but the restrictions are not overly aggressive compared to competitors.

App Experience and User Interface

theScore Bet’s mobile app is available on both iOS and Android. The app inherited the ESPN BET codebase but received a significant visual overhaul during the rebrand. The ESPN integration points, which previously connected users to ESPN content, scores, and highlights within the betting app, have been replaced with theScore’s own media content. This is actually a lateral move in terms of quality: theScore’s sports content and push notification system was already well-regarded before the Penn acquisition, with millions of active users on theScore’s standalone sports news app.

Navigation is clean and intuitive. The home screen displays featured promotions and popular games across major leagues. A tabbed navigation bar at the bottom provides quick access to the sportsbook, live betting, promotions, and account management. The bet slip is accessible from any screen via a persistent footer, and it supports standard, parlay, and round-robin bet types.

Search functionality is adequate but not exceptional. You can search for teams, players, and leagues, though the results can be slow to populate during peak hours, particularly during NFL Sunday windows and March Madness. The app’s performance under heavy load was a known issue during the ESPN BET era, and while Penn has made improvements, it still does not match the responsiveness of DraftKings’ app, which handles peak traffic more gracefully.

One genuine strength of the theScore Bet app is its integration with theScore’s media platform. Users who link their theScore media account can receive personalized betting suggestions based on teams they follow, view betting odds alongside news and scores, and access exclusive promotions tied to their favorite sports. This media-betting integration is more organic than the ESPN integration ever was, largely because theScore was purpose-built as a sports media app rather than a legacy television network adapting to digital.

The desktop experience is functional but clearly secondary to mobile. The web-based sportsbook covers all the same markets and features as the app, but the interface feels less polished, with more whitespace and slower load times. If you are primarily a desktop bettor, DraftKings or FanDuel offer a meaningfully better browser experience.

Banking: Deposits, Withdrawals, and Processing Times

theScore Bet supports a standard set of banking methods consistent with major U.S. sportsbooks. Deposit options include Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards, online banking via ACH transfer, PayPal, Play+ prepaid cards, and cash at the cage at any Penn Entertainment casino property. Deposits are instant for all electronic methods. The minimum deposit is $10, and there are no deposit fees.

Withdrawals are available via ACH bank transfer, PayPal, Play+, check by mail, and cash at the cage. Processing times vary by method. PayPal withdrawals typically process within 24 to 48 hours and are the fastest electronic option. ACH bank transfers take 3 to 5 business days. Play+ withdrawals process within 24 hours. Check by mail can take 7 to 14 business days. Cash at the cage at a Hollywood Casino or other Penn property is available immediately upon request.

The minimum withdrawal amount is $10 for electronic methods and $20 for check by mail. There is no maximum withdrawal limit for verified accounts, though withdrawals above $10,000 may trigger additional identity verification under federal anti-money laundering regulations. Penn does not charge withdrawal fees for any method, which is a genuine advantage: some competitors charge for expedited withdrawals or paper checks.

One notable feature is the integration with Penn’s land-based casinos. If you live near a Hollywood Casino, you can deposit or withdraw cash in person, which is useful for bettors who prefer to avoid digital banking entirely. This is an advantage that online-only platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel cannot match.

Loyalty Program and Ongoing Promotions

theScore Bet’s loyalty program is currently in transition. During the ESPN BET era, the platform offered a tiered rewards program that was generally considered one of the better loyalty programs in the market, with escalating benefits based on betting volume. After the rebrand, Penn has been restructuring the rewards system to integrate with its existing mychoice loyalty program, which spans Penn’s land-based casino properties.

The mychoice program operates on a tiered system: Choice, Preferred, Elite, and Owner’s Club. Points earned through online betting at theScore Bet count toward tier advancement and can be redeemed for comps at Penn’s casino properties, including hotel stays, dining, and entertainment. This cross-platform integration is a genuine differentiator for bettors who also visit brick-and-mortar casinos, but it offers limited value for online-only bettors who never set foot in a Hollywood Casino.

Ongoing promotions at theScore Bet include daily odds boosts across major sports, parlay insurance offers (typically refunding a losing parlay leg if all other legs win), and same-game parlay boosts during marquee events. The promotional cadence is competitive but not industry-leading. DraftKings and FanDuel both offer more frequent and higher-value promotions, particularly during major sporting events like the Super Bowl, March Madness, and the World Series.

One area where theScore Bet has improved since the rebrand is its personalized promotions. The app now uses betting history and team preferences to deliver targeted bonus offers, which means regular users often receive customized odds boosts and bonus bet offers that casual users do not see. The value of these personalized promotions varies, but they can be significant for bettors who wager consistently.

State-by-State Availability

theScore Bet is currently licensed and operational in 21 U.S. jurisdictions. Here is the complete list as of March 2026:

State	Launch Date	Online Casino
Arizona	November 2023	No
Colorado	November 2023	No
Illinois	November 2023	No
Indiana	November 2023	No
Iowa	November 2023	No
Kansas	November 2023	No
Kentucky	November 2023	No
Louisiana	November 2023	No
Maryland	November 2023	No
Massachusetts	November 2023	No
Michigan	November 2023	Yes
Missouri	December 2025	No
New Jersey	November 2023	Yes
New York	November 2023	No
North Carolina	March 2024	No
Ohio	November 2023	No
Pennsylvania	November 2023	Yes
Tennessee	November 2023	No
Virginia	November 2023	No
West Virginia	November 2023	Yes
Washington, D.C.	November 2023	No

Hollywood Casino online casino is available in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia alongside the sportsbook. This gives Penn a dual offering in those states that can attract customers who want both sports betting and online casino gaming on the same platform.

Honest Pros and Cons

Strengths

Media integration is genuinely useful. theScore’s sports content, push notifications, and personalized news feed create a more cohesive experience than most sportsbook apps. You can follow your teams, read analysis, and bet on the same platform without switching apps. This is what ESPN BET promised but never fully delivered.

Land-based casino integration matters for some bettors. If you visit Hollywood Casino or any Penn property, the mychoice loyalty program creates real value. Earn points from online betting, redeem them for hotel rooms and dinners. No purely digital sportsbook can match this.

The $1,000 Bet Reset is a clean, simple welcome offer. No multi-day requirements, no complex wagering conditions. One bet, one potential refund. The expected value is approximately $135, which is respectable.

21-state availability is solid coverage. You can use theScore Bet in most major sports betting markets, including high-population states like New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

No withdrawal fees on any method. This is an underrated advantage. Some competitors charge $5 to $25 for expedited withdrawals or paper checks.

Weaknesses

Brand confusion and customer trust. Going from Barstool to ESPN BET to theScore Bet in three years creates legitimate questions about stability. Will the platform rebrand again? Will Penn sell the sportsbook division? These are fair concerns that competitors do not face.

Market share is minimal. theScore Bet holds less than 5% of the U.S. online sports betting market. This means smaller prize pools for contests, less liquidity for niche markets, and potentially less competitive odds on secondary sports. The platform is not failing, but it is clearly a tier-two operator behind DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars.

Promotions are not as aggressive as the Big Four. DraftKings and FanDuel spend more on ongoing promotions, odds boosts, and profit boosts. If you are a promotion-driven bettor who maximizes value from daily offers, you will find more opportunities on larger platforms.

Prop market depth lags behind leaders. On a typical NBA or NFL game, theScore Bet offers fewer player prop markets than DraftKings, FanDuel, or BetMGM. If player props are a significant part of your betting strategy, this is a meaningful limitation.

Desktop experience is mediocre. The web platform works but feels like an afterthought compared to the mobile app. Desktop bettors should look elsewhere.

Head-to-Head: theScore Bet vs. DraftKings vs. FanDuel

Feature	theScore Bet	DraftKings	FanDuel
Welcome Bonus	$1,000 Bet Reset	Bet $5, Get $200 instant	Up to $3,000 over 10 days
Bonus EV	~$135	~$100 (guaranteed)	~$500-750 (with effort)
States Available	21	30+	25+
Standard Juice	-110	-110	-110
Player Prop Depth	50-60 per game	80+ per game	70+ per game
Live Betting	Good	Excellent	Very Good
App Quality	Good	Excellent	Very Good
Loyalty Program	mychoice (casino integration)	DK Crowns	FanDuel Club
Fastest Withdrawal	24 hours (PayPal)	24 hours (PayPal)	24 hours (PayPal)
Online Casino	4 states	5 states	5 states
Cash at Cage	Yes (Penn properties)	No	No
Media Integration	theScore content	ESPN (new partner)	FanDuel TV

The honest assessment: DraftKings and FanDuel are better products for most bettors. They offer wider market coverage, deeper prop menus, more aggressive promotions, and superior app experiences. theScore Bet’s advantages are niche: the mychoice casino loyalty integration, the theScore media content, and the $1,000 Bet Reset welcome bonus (which is more valuable as a single offer than DraftKings’ $200 guaranteed bonus, though less valuable than FanDuel’s extended program). If you are already a Penn Entertainment casino customer or a dedicated theScore app user, theScore Bet makes sense as a complementary platform. As your primary sportsbook, it is a step behind the market leaders.

Who Should Sign Up for theScore Bet

theScore Bet is best suited for three types of bettors. First, bettors who frequent Penn Entertainment casino properties. The mychoice loyalty integration turns online betting into comp points that fund real-world perks. If you stay at Hollywood Casino a few times a year, this adds tangible value that no online-only sportsbook can match.

Second, bettors who already use theScore as their primary sports news and scores app. The media integration creates a seamless experience where following games and betting on them happens within the same ecosystem. This is a genuine convenience advantage.

Third, bonus hunters who open accounts at every legal sportsbook to capture welcome bonuses. The $1,000 Bet Reset is worth approximately $135 in expected value, making it a worthwhile addition to any new-account bonus strategy. Sign up, capture the bonus, and keep the app around for occasional use when theScore Bet offers a competitive odds boost.

theScore Bet is not the best choice for bettors who prioritize having the widest possible selection of prop markets, the most aggressive daily promotions, or the sharpest odds across all sports. For those priorities, DraftKings remains the strongest overall product in the U.S. market, with FanDuel a close second.

The ESPN BET Saga: Lessons and Controversy

The collapse of the ESPN BET partnership is worth understanding for anyone interested in the business of sports betting. Penn Entertainment paid roughly $2 billion for the rights to use ESPN’s name and integrate into ESPN’s platforms. Despite this massive investment, ESPN BET never gained meaningful traction. The platform launched with a $250 “Bet $10, Get $150 in Bonus Bets” welcome offer that was competitive but not exceptional. User acquisition costs were high, and retention was low. Many bettors signed up to capture the welcome bonus but returned to DraftKings or FanDuel for their regular betting activity.

The fundamental problem was that brand recognition does not automatically translate to product superiority. ESPN is the most recognized sports media brand in America, but its name on a sportsbook did not make the odds better, the promotions more generous, or the app more functional than established competitors. Bettors are pragmatic: they go where the value is, not where the logo is. Penn learned this lesson at a cost of billions.

The early termination also raised questions about Penn’s strategic direction. Going from Barstool to ESPN to theScore in three years suggests a company searching for identity rather than building on a stable foundation. CEO Jay Snowden has expressed optimism about the theScore rebrand, positioning it as a return to Penn’s own technology and brand equity rather than reliance on expensive licensing deals. Whether that optimism is justified remains to be seen. Penn’s stock (PENN on the NASDAQ) has been volatile throughout this period, reflecting investor uncertainty about the company’s digital strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions