Kansas reported record-breaking sports betting figures for November, the third month of bets on the 2024-25 NFL regular season. Sunflower State bettors wagered $291 million, a 5.5% increase from the previous record in October. Last month, the handle came to $275.9 million. The handle total also marks an 11.5% year-on-year increase from $260.9 million in November 2023.

Kansas’ six online sportsbooks contributed the most. They drew in a $279 million handle, making up almost 96.0% of the monthly total, and close to $24.7 million in revenue.

The state is also home to four retail sports betting locations, including ESPN BET at Hollywood Casino, the FanDuel Sportsbook in Kansas Star Casino, DraftKings at Boot Hill Casino & Resort, and Kansas Crossing’s Caesars Sportsbook. In November, these venues contributed $873,172 to the revenue total from a $12 million handle.

While the Kansas City Chiefs are based in neighboring Missouri, they’re also the most popular NFL team in Kansas. So far this season, the Chiefs won all but one of their 13 games.

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The loss actually came in mid-November, with quarterback Josh Allen sealing the Buffalo Bills’ 30-21 win. With Kansas bettors likely backing the Chiefs during the game, this loss could have contributed to extra revenue for the state’s books to keep during the month.

The Chiefs are among the favorites to win Super Bowl LIX. The NFL is a particularly popular time of year for sports betting operators, with the American Gaming Association predicting bettors will wager around $35 billion on this season’s games. Like many states, Kansas reported a surge in betting activity from September onwards every year since it launched legal sports betting.

PENN Entertainment and ESPN announced that account linking between ESPN BET and ESPN is now available for customers, creating an even more deeply integrated media and betting experience. By linking accounts, fans now have the ability to seamlessly track upcoming, live and settled bets within the ESPN app and on ESPN.com.

With this product enhancement, ESPN BET will soon bring fans more personalized bets and timely promotions based on their favorite sports, teams, players, and fantasy rosters. Account linking can be accessed either via a prompt within the ESPN BET app or by visiting settings within the latest versions of the ESPN BET or ESPN apps or ESPN.com.

“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. 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,” said Aaron LaBerge, Chief Technology Officer at PENN Entertainment.

Mike Morrison, Vice President of ESPN BET and ESPN Fantasy, said: “Linking ESPN and ESPN BET accounts is part of the seamless, integrated betting experience we envisioned from the start. No other company in the betting space can offer the level of personalization or interconnected experience that ESPN BET provides.”

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The PGA of America and PENN Entertainment announced a multiyear sports betting partnership. Under the agreement, ESPN BET becomes the “Official Sports Betting Sponsor” of the PGA Championship through 2026. The 2024 PGA Championship will take place at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky from May 16-19.

This agreement marks a milestone for the PGA Championship as it becomes the first men’s golf major to establish an official sports betting sponsor. ESPN BET is a best-in-class online sportsbook that combines PENN’s proprietary in-house technology and deep sportsbook operational expertise with ESPN’s industry-leading brand and multiplatform reach.

“We are incredibly proud to partner with PENN Entertainment and immerse ESPN BET into the spectator experience throughout the PGA Championship. The added onsite presence of ESPN BET as well as broadcast and content offerings will provide spectators with exciting new ways to enjoy and engage with all of the action during the PGA Championship,” said Jeff Price, PGA of America Chief Commercial Officer.

“We’re pleased to be the PGA of America’s first ever gaming partner and align ESPN BET with this prestigious men’s golf major. We look forward to accessing highly engaging touchpoints to bring ESPN BET onto the course and into the PGA Championship broadcast on ESPN. With the PGA Championship set to take place in states where ESPN BET operates through 2026, this partnership provides us with a great opportunity to interact with and engage golf fans,” said Jason Birney, Vice President of Operations at PENN Interactive.

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The 2024 PGA Championship will feature the ESPN BET Members Lounge located adjacent to the green on the par-4 13th hole. The ESPN BET Members Lounge is a premium hospitality space available only to ESPN BET account holders. The lounge offers views of Valhalla’s newly renovated signature 13th green and includes a variety of amenities including beverages, covered seating, a VR simulator of the 13th hole, special ESPN BET offers for patrons on site, and more. Additional consumer-facing activities will also take place in the lounge throughout the week.

In addition to activating onsite at the Championship, ESPN BET will be integrated into broadcasts on ESPN networks, with betting odds and insights provided to enhance storytelling within the Championship. The sponsorship also includes opportunities for collaborative content across PGA of America digital media platforms. In the leadup to the Championship, ESPN BET will offer specially curated PGA Championship betting offers prior to and during all four rounds of competition.