PENN Entertainment, the gambling operator that provides the technology and licensing for online sportsbook ESPN BET, has announced that customers can now link their ESPN BET accounts to their ESPN accounts.
Customers can link accounts through a prompt when visiting the ESPN BET app or by entering their account settings at ESPN.com, the ESPN app, or the ESPN BET app. Linking lets players track sports events and live bets through any ESPN platform. Additionally, PENN claims it will deliver more personalized content to customers, including promotions based on their favorite teams.
“Linking ESPN and ESPN BET accounts is part of the seamless, integrated betting experience we envisioned from the start," said Mike Morrison, vice president of ESPN BET and ESPN Fantasy, in a press release. "No other company in the betting space can offer the level of personalization or interconnected experience that ESPN BET provides.”
When ESPN BET first launched, PENN Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden highlighted integration with other ESPN platforms as crucial to the sportsbook’s long-term success and one of its unique selling points.
“What’s really different for us is this deep integration behind the number one sports media brand in the world and those sports fans who like to bet and want to bet, and the trust factor to do this seamlessly is something we take very seriously,” Snowden said last November at the ESPN Edge Conference.
At the time, Snowden said he expected the integration to be completed within a few weeks or months.
Integration another step forward for ESPN BET
As PENN Entertainment and ESPN owner Disney only agreed on a deal in 2023 and launched the online sportsbook last November, 2024 was always going to be a crucial year for the sports betting operator.
The company has even faced questions from shareholders, with major shareholder Will Wyatt issuing a public letter in May questioning its commitment to online gambling. He cited previous results as an indication that PENN should not have agreed to a deal to support ESPN BET, citing the failure of the company's previous betting platform, Barstool Sportsbook.
However, integration wasn't the first feature that ESPN BET introduced to quell those concerns. Instead, the company debuted ESPN BET broadcasts through ESPN in August to bring greater coverage to the sportsbook and more integration to bettors.
Additionally, ESPN BET has also added a referral program, dark mode, and integration with theScore Media app in previous months. These options were available when the online sportsbook launched in New York. One of the biggest sports betting markets in the U.S., ESPN BET generated $3 million in sports betting handle in its first week in the Empire State.
“Bringing this new feature to market is an important step as we work to create a fully interconnected media and betting ecosystem between ESPN and ESPN BET," added Aaron LaBerge, chief technology officer at PENN Entertainment.
"Account linking allows us to better serve and engage our users by unlocking key personalization and promotional capabilities. This feature is just the beginning of deeper integrations that will further differentiate the ESPN BET experience.”
