Penn Entertainment to Allow ESPN Users to Link Sportsbook Accounts

Penn is determined to make ESPN Bet a success, and they took a significant step towards that this week.

The company has announced that ESPN Bet customers can now link their sportsbook accounts with their ESPN accounts. Customers have been calling for this, allowing them to seamlessly switch between the sportsbook and the sports media giant’s other offerings. Linking will also help customers easily find bets and promos for their favorite teams.

Linking Will Change How Bettors Follow Games

One primary reason Penn partnered with ESPN was its massive audience. The sports media leader has been synonymous with American sports for decades. Its main website, fantasy offerings, and ESPN+ streaming platform have led to many fans creating accounts with the company. That massive user base now has an extra incentive to use ESPN Bet.

ESPN platforms are the most popular option for bettors to get the latest game scores. Linking their accounts with ESPN Bet will display the scores for games users have wagered on right on the first page. While many sportsbooks offer live updates and even some streaming for events, ESPN’s capabilities go far beyond those.

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

ESPN Bet Hopes to Increase Market Share

Penn has aggressively launched ESPN Bet, but the results have been mixed. While FanDuel and DraftKings own the vast majority of the US sports betting market share, ESPN Bet is fighting to compete for the little remaining. While they have seen some positive results, the hope is that account linking will launch the platform to another level.

Account Linking Comes with Risk for Penn

Account linking is undoubtedly a massive win for Penn Entertainment, but there is some risk. 

Problem gambling continues to be a hot topic among regulators, with many legislatures calling for change. While allowing customers to link a gambling account to a non-gambling account is legal, many states have rules against pushing promos for sportsbooks on other apps. 

Earlier this month, a former Jags employee filed a lawsuit against FanDuel over its marketing tactics. He claimed to get up to 100+ messages per day from the sportsbooks, claiming it led him to gamble beyond his means.

While the situation differs from that of ESPN Bet, be assured regulators will monitor the sportsbook's contact with ESPN users.