Associated Press
Penn Entertainment has launched ESPN Bet, a sports-gambling service rebranded with the name of the Disney-owned sports channel. The app is now available in 17 U.S. states. Penn Entertainment signed a $1.5 billion deal with ESPN for rights to the sports media giant’s name in August, and under the agreement, Penn will operate ESPN Bet while ESPN promotes the app across its online and broadcast platforms.
ESPN Bet was set to go live Tuesday in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Penn’s rights to the ESPN brand will initially run for a decade with the option of extension for another 10 years. In addition to the $1.5 billion licensing deal