Hollywood Casino at Greektown unveiled its new ESPN BET branded sportsbook and restaurant on the upper floor of the 100,000-square-foot Downtown Detroit casino. This sportsbook is the first ESPN BET branded retail location to open across PENN Entertainment’s (PENN) portfolio of properties.

The ESPN BET sportsbook and restaurant offers guests approximately 4500 square-feet of betting and dining space, with high-tech wagering kiosks, big-screen TVs, a 30’ video wall for the ultimate sports viewing experience and elevated bar food and drink. The restaurant is one of the many premium dining options available throughout Hollywood Casino at Greektown.

“This is an exciting week to debut PENN’s first physical ESPN BET sportsbook as the city of Detroit hosts the NFL Draft and its festivities. Bringing ESPN BET to Hollywood Greektown combines PENN’s premier sports media and sports betting offerings to create an amazing atmosphere for fans to watch and bet on sports. To celebrate the opening, we’re thrilled to host ESPN talent and programming at our property throughout the week,” John Drake, General Manager of Hollywood Casino at Greektown, said.

“We’re thrilled to open the first ESPN BET retail location in Detroit and become part of a community of deeply passionate sports fans. We want fans to come embrace a first-class betting experience and we’re excited to showcase the ESPN BET brand in a contemporary space,” Mike Morrison, Vice President of ESPN BET and ESPN Fantasy, said.

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ESPN BET, the official sportsbook of ESPN, launched in North Carolina as the state’s legal sports betting market opened. Fans in the state now have access to the state-of-the-art mobile and web betting platform, which offers a variety of markets across sports and leagues from around the world, including straight bets, cross-sport parlays, props, and in-game wagering, along with daily odds boosts, custom offers, exclusive promotions and integrations with ESPN content and personalities. ESPN BET, operated by PENN Entertainment, is now live in 18 states.

To celebrate, ESPN BET is hosting a launch party for fans 21+ at Rally in Charlotte on Friday, March 15, featuring ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. The event will begin at 5:30 pm and will include complimentary refreshments, music, activities, prizes, and plenty of screens to follow all the March college basketball action.

“We’re thrilled to bring ESPN BET to North Carolina, which marks the first new state launch under our ESPN partnership. Together, we’re excited to engage with sports fans across the state and deliver an exceptional sports wagering experience. We commend the North Carolina State Lottery Commission and all of the stakeholders involved in establishing this new legal sports betting market,” Jay Snowden, CEO and President of PENN Entertainment, said.

“Launching ESPN BET for North Carolina fans is a pivotal moment. This marks a significant stride forward, building on the momentum from our inaugural launch in November. Now, fans have the chance to align themselves with a sportsbook backed by the trusted ESPN brand, offering an unparalleled experience in the world of sports betting,” Mike Morrison, Vice President of ESPN BET and ESPN Fantasy, said.

PENN secured market access in North Carolina through a partnership with Quail Hollow Club, a private golf club in Charlotte that has hosted some of the game’s greatest players and events. Additionally, ESPN BET is the exclusive official betting operator of the Wells Fargo Championship, a PGA TOUR Signature Event that will be held at Quail Hollow Club in May.

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PENN and ESPN are committed to providing a safe environment for all customers to enjoy gaming responsibly. ESPN BET offers comprehensive Responsible Gaming tools and resources, including limits on time, deposits, and wagering amounts.

Penn Entertainment Inc. is taking in more wagers from its new ESPN Bet sports-betting app than it did under the jettisoned Barstool brand, according to analysts and data from several states.

In Maryland, mobile wagers on ESPN Bet jumped to $42.4 million in December from $16.4 million under the Barstool name a year ago, according to state results reported last week. That placed Penn third behind industry leaders FanDuel and DraftKings Inc., and ahead of rivals BetMGM and Caesars Entertainment Inc.

In Iowa, Penn generated mobile sports wagers of $18.8 million in December, more than double the $7.2 million in the year-ago period, according to data released by the state last week.

“Preliminary data suggest the book improved on its predecessor’s small market share — and did so during a key seasonal period,” Brian Egger, a senior analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence, said.

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While the ESPN Bet app is off to a fast start, Penn is confronting high costs and entrenched rivals in its quest for a bigger foothold in online gaming.

The casino operator based in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, originally launched its sports-betting business under the Barstool name, after acquiring the online video and podcast company from sports commentator David Portnoy. After challenges associated with the controversial founder, Penn gave Barstool back to Portnoy and signed a $2 billion deal last year to license Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN brand.

The December numbers follow the strong launch for ESPN Bet on Nov. 14. Penn’s share of sports-betting revenue in November in six states was about 12%, according to Macquarie Group analyst Chad Beynon. That’s up from about 2% for Penn when it used the Barstool name.

“Though still early,” the reports for ESPN Bet are “positive,” Beynon wrote in a Jan. 3 research note. The brand will likely increase betting revenue because it appeals to a wider range of potential customers, including women, he said.

ESPN has been promoting the app on its TV shows, website and other outlets, using the site’s betting odds in stories, for example, rather than other brands.

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