PENN Entertainment, the same people behind Barstool Sportsbook, decided to ditch Dave Portnoy and the Stoolies and relaunch as ESPN BET in 2023.
The sportsbook, which has the full backing of the TV network, is available in 20 US states and offers a feature-loaded iOS and Android app. You’ll find profit boosts, live streams, 30-day free access to ESPN+, and a bet $10 get $100 in bonus bets welcome offer.
Join us as we walk you through the ESPN BET Sportsbook and reveal if this new betting app is worthy of the ESPN brand.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit $10 | Limited withdrawal options |
| Bet $10 get $100 in bonus bets welcome offer | Slow withdrawals |
| 30-day free access to ESPN+ | Limited State Availability |
| Regular profit boosts and deposit matches | Needs more promos |
| Pre-populated same game parlays | |
| Online casino available within app | |
| Wide range of payment methods |
ESPN BET Bet $10 Get $100 Sign Up Bonus
When you make your first bet of $10 or more at ESPN BET, you’ll receive $100 in bonus bets and a 30-day free subscription to ESPN+. It doesn’t matter what sport you bet on or what odds you lock in, you’ll still receive your bonus bets.
Bonus bets can also be used on any market, and while you can’t cash them out, any winnings are immediately withdrawable.
A 1-month ESPN+ subscription is worth $11.99 and gives you instant access to live college sports, NFL, NBA, soccer, PGA, and Grand Slam tennis. You’ll also be able to catch exclusive shows and documentaries, including the epic 30 for 30 series. The Best That Never Was is a must-watch doc!
Unfortunately, the ESPN BET sign up bonus is only available in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia. You must be 21+ to claim the offer and physically located in the previously mentioned states.
Our Favorite Betting Tools and Features at ESPN BET
PENN Entertainment isn’t just leveraging ESPN’s brand. This latest sportsbook also has some other extras that make the app special, including:
Profit Boosts
ESPN BET is home to daily profit boosts. Simply bet on qualifying games and watch your payouts be supercharged by 50% or more. Also, make sure you enable push notifications and keep an eye on your inbox because ESPN BET is handing out 25% deposit match offers virtually every month.
Parlay Lounge
Don’t have time to analyze the markets or are looking for bet ideas? Inside the Parlay Lounge, ESPN BET compiles parlays for you based on betting trends. You can then filter them based on popularity, sport, and time. Thanks to these pre-populated bets, placing a parlay takes seconds.
Bet with ESPN
ESPN BET has this cool feature where you can mirror your favorite anchor’s picks. Simply pop over to the Exclusives section and bet on the same team as Stephen A. Smith and Scott Van Pelt. ESPN BET will even throw in some profit boosts to sweeten the deal.
Refer a Friend
Most sportsbooks now have a refer a friend offer where you can get rewards for recommending a book to a buddy and ESPN Bet are no different. Get the whole family involved at ESPN BET and watch your bankroll swell with the ESPN Bet referral program. For every person who signs up at ESPN BET via your link and deposits, you’ll receive up to $50.
Online Casino
From your ESPN BET app, you’ll also find Hollywood Casino with over 700 games, including Playtech jackpot slots, live blackjack, and various virtual roulette and poker variants. There are modern video slots with Megaways Hold and Win and a loyalty program where you earn points every time you play. The points can be used to enjoy free stays at PENN Entertainment properties.
ESPN Sportsbook vs ESPN Fantasy
In addition to the ESPN Bet Sportsbook and Hollywood Casino, ESPN also has a Fantasy gaming app, where you can join public leagues, create your lineups, and compete against the top sports fans in the US. The ESPN Fantasy games are on a separate app from the sportsbook, though you will also find it in the iOS and Android stores. However, the ESPN fantasy platform does not have direct cash prizes.
There are various contests, such as the Pigskin Pick’Em or Eliminator Challenges, where you can win prizes from a massive pool, but, again, these are DFS games with no direct returns for your correct picks.
Our Experience & Score of ESPN BET
Let’s start with ESPN BET’s welcome bonus. It’s a decent offer, and the inclusion of ESPN+ is a nice touch, but it’s just too small. Just check out ESPN BET’s rivals. BetMGM is offering up to $1,500 in bonus bets if your first wager doesn’t win, and bet365 will give you $200 in bonus bets when you wager just $1.
We were impressed with ESPN BET’s betting markets. There are over 20 sports available, including niche sports like lacrosse and Australian Rules, as well as every NBA, NFL, and MLB game.
Don’t expect anything revolutionary in terms of bet types or odds, ESPN BET’s markets are pretty standard. However, the pre-populated same game parlays and the ability to bet alongside ESPN anchors are fun features.
In terms of banking, ESPN BET gets a thumbs up from us. Flexible deposit and withdrawal limits starting from only $10, no fees, and fast withdrawals are great to see. Also, ESPN BET makes it easy with so many different payment methods, from online bank transfers to credit cards to e-wallets, including PayPal.
Again, ESPN BET knocks it out of the park when it comes to customer support. We connected to human agents within seconds via live chat. Email, telephone, and social media support is also available.
ESPN BET is definitely a safe sportsbook. It’s run by a multi-billion dollar company that operates over 40 casinos, and there have been zero security issues going back to the Barstool Sportsbook days.
Even though ESPN BET’s welcome bonus is a little on the small side, it makes up for it with a decent mix of promos for existing players. There are daily odds boosts up to 50%, frequent specials for big games, and monthly custom deposit match offers.
| Review Areas | Score |
|---|---|
| Welcome Bonus | 6/10 |
| Betting Markets | 7/10 |
| Banking | 8/10 |
| Support | 8/10 |
| Safety | 8.5/10 |
| Promotions | 7.5/10 |
ESPN BET Sports Markets
At ESPN BET, you can wager on over 20 sports. Live betting is available for hundreds of daily events, from table tennis tournaments in the Czech Republic to volleyball matches in Brazil to UFC cards in Australia.
Unsurprisingly, there is a heavy focus on US sports with all kinds of props, specials, and parlays for the NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL. You’ll also find classic moneyline, spread, and total markets.
Apart from US sports, there is a healthy dose of niche events with markets for darts, cricket, handball, lacrosse, and jai alai, a sport we didn’t know existed!
ESPN BET is a typical soft sportsbook. It tends to offer generous odds aimed at recreational bettors and keeps players flushed with profit boosts, bonus bets, and deposit match deals. However, it’s quick to limit winning players. Overall, ESPN BET offers similar lines and markets to DraftKings and FanDuel.
ESPN BET Banking Methods
ESPN BET makes it easy to deposit and withdraw thanks to the sheer number of payment options available. You can top up your account and withdraw via:
The minimum deposit starts from only $10, and you can add over $200,000 to your account in a single transaction. 10 bucks may seem high for some and if this is the case, you may want to look at one of the sportsbooks with $5 a minimum deposit. The minimum withdrawal at ESPN BET is also just $10, so don’t worry about your money getting stuck. If you’re a high roller, you’ll be happy to know you can cash out up to $999,999 via ACH in a single transaction.
Deposits, particularly via credit and debit cards and e-wallets, are processed instantly. ESPN BET typically doesn’t charge fees, but check with your bank or financial institution, especially when using credit cards.
Based on what we’ve seen, ESPN BET can be a bit slow to process withdrawals. Many players have complained about pending payouts. However, once the cash out request is approved, ESPN BET pays out instantly via debit card and e-wallet, while online bank transfers and ACH take up to 48 hours. From what we have read, they aren’t one of the fastest payout betting sites available to US bettors.
ESPN BET Support and Contacts
It’s good to see ESPN BET isn’t trying to cut costs and actually offers 24/7 customer support. They’ll even respond on Christmas Day!
Unlike some sportsbooks that take forever to reply and are clearly understaffed, ESPN BET responds within seconds via live chat, and you’ll have zero issues connecting with a human agent. To access live chat, open the app and head to the Contact Us section.
ESPN also offers other customer support channels. It responds to emails (support@espnbet.com) within 12 hours, and you should get a reply via X (@ESPNBETSupport) within a couple of hours.
Alternatively, you can request a callback by dialing +1 (844) 953-2121. ESPN BET completes all callbacks within 24 hours.
Mobile Betting Apps
ESPN Bet has mobile apps for iOS and Android users, that you can find in the App Store and Play Store, respectively. The ratings on the App Store and Play Store are over 4.5 and the ESPN Bet betting app is a highly rated software. It transfers the high functioning interface seamlessly to mobile devices, and throwing in touch-responsive navigation tools, scrollable tools and easy bet slip management, and you should have no difficulties making the jump from desktop to mobile betting app.
However, bigger brand sportsbooks are not immune to the occasional technical hiccup or glitch. We found the app to be highly responsive and loads quickly, but some users ran into problems such as ESPN Bet not allowing them to place a bet – for unknown reasons. Another issue we found was with withdrawals, in that occasionally ESPN Bet can take a little longer to process individual withdrawal requests.
This can occur when there is a higher volume of bets and activity on the servers at the same time. Or, if you are using a new payout method, and ESPN Bet needs to confirm it. After the second and third withdrawals using a new withdrawal method, the payment gateway will be greenlighted and your future withdrawals should be a lot faster.
As for technical glitches, we found that ESPN Bet solved them for the most part since a patch update in 2024. On the subject of these updates, ESPN Bet Sportsbook does update its app quite regularly, even to the extent of a few times a month – which is inconvenient. But you can rest assured that the sportsbook is fully functioning and smooth. Most of the other issues we have found among users relate to the Hollywood Casino extension (MI, NJ, PA, & WV).
Is ESPN BET Legit?
ESPN BET is run by PENN Entertainment, a publicly traded gaming giant with a $3 billion market cap. The company has been around since the 80s and operates over 40 land-based casinos, so you know it has deep pockets.
As mentioned before, ESPN BET is a rebranding of Barstool Sportsbook, which successfully operated for 3 years. ESPN BET is fully licensed in 20 US states and closely follows all regulations, including promptly paying players and offering fair and accurate promotions and odds. This is a professionally run sportsbook, and you won’t have any issues with deceiving odds or payouts.
Regular Deals and Rewards at ESPN BET
As touched on previously, ESPN BET offers daily profit boosts. Typically, there are between 20% and 50% boosts available on certain parlays and futures. We managed to lock in the Eagles to win the 2026 Super Bowl at +750 instead of the standard +650.
We also took advantage of a 20% tennis parlay profit boost promotion. There were no minimum legs, but it did require odds of +400 or higher. If you head into the Parlay Lounge and Exclusives section, you’ll find even more profit boost promotions.
ESPN BET also runs promotions for big games or moments. For example, right now, it’s running a special offer on whether or not Ovechkin will break the NHL’s all-time scoring record this year.
Don’t forget to regularly check the Promos tab in your ESPN BET. We’ve been getting 25% deposit matches every 2 weeks or so. Players have been celebrating the frequent bonus bet offers.
ESPN Bet Responsible Gambling
Finding the balance between what’s fun and what is responsible is an integral part of sports betting. Responsible gambling does not necessarily have to dampen the mood or limit your options, it is all about doing a little preplanning and sticking to a framework.
ESPN Bet provides you with a handful of responsible gambling tools that are integrated into the sportsbook. There are limits to curb your deposits, the time you spend gambling, and even limits on the amount you can wager in a single bet. You don’t need to use all of them, but you have to admire how ESPN Bet has really thought about responsible gambling. Any of these can be used to help you keep within your means, and avoid going bust.
- Deposit Limits: The easiest way to stay within your financial means is set daily, weekly or monthly deposit limits. After you hit the limit, you can’t deposit until the time frame expires.
- Session Limits: Curb the time you spend per day with the daily time limits, from 1 hour up to 10 hours.
- Spending Limits: You can set daily, weekly or monthly spending limits, ensuring you stay on track and don’t blow your entire bankroll in a few days.
- Loss Stops: Set daily, weekly or monthly loss limits, and if you hit these limits, you won’t be able to spend anymore until the timeframe has expired.
- Cool Off: If you ever need a time out, you can set a cool off time, from a day up to 1 year.
- Max Single Wager Limit: Setting the maximum stake for a single bet helps you keep within your budget, and not get too aggressive or reckless with your wagering.
- Reality Check-in Intervals: Set reality check-ins at intervals of 15 minutes, 30 minutes or more, so you keep an eye on the clock and don’t get carried away.
- Exclude Payment Methods: You can disable any payment methods on your ESPN Bet account.
ESPN BET Review Verdict
ESPN BET is a latecomer to the sportsbook market. The odds and markets are pretty similar to what you’ll find at other betting apps. However, ESPN BET does have some nice extra features, including daily profit boosts, trending parlays, and an attached online casino.
We recommend claiming ESPN BET’s $100 in bonus bets welcome offer and trying out the app. The free month of ESPN+ is alone worth taking advantage of!
