Questions surrounding the pending launch of ESPN Bet may have some answers by Monday afternoon.
The New York State Gaming Commission has scheduled a meeting for Sept. 23, during which time the commission will consider the application of Penn Entertainment to acquire the NY sports betting license of Wynn.
It is Monday’s decision that will determine whether ESPN Bet launches in the Empire State, though it would seem that it is a given that the NYSGC give the go-ahead.
How soon ESPN Bet could launch, however, remains in question.
ESPN Bet NY closer to launching?
Penn began its quest toward joining the nation’s No. 1 sports betting market in February, when it paid $25 million to acquire Wynn’s online sports betting license.
From that time through August, Penn continued to submit the necessary paperwork to push the deal through with New York regulators. But the operator cannot launch until the NYSGC officially signs off on the deal.
Few other details have emerged regarding the immediate future of ESPN Bet NY should the NYSGC approve the acquisition.
The commission, though, should address those unknowns on Monday.
Penn eager to go live, but don’t expect many promotions
In early August, Penn CEO Jay Snowden emphasized during an earnings call that ESPN Bet will go live in New York “before college football week one.”
A few weeks later, as college football kicked off and as the NFL prepared to get its season underway, Mark Walker, executive vice president for ESPN Bet, said that the sportsbook was “ready to go.”
“Just press that button to launch,” Walker said toward the end of August, “as soon as New York says we can.”
That could come on Monday. But when ESPN Bet launches, as Felicia Hendrix, Penn’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, said during that earnings call, it won’t feature many promotional offers for users.
As she put it, Penn will “leverage the reach of the ESPN brands in New York without a heavy promotional lift.”
