Early ESPN Bet Review: Everything We Know & What Users Are Saying About ESPN's Sportsbook
The much anticipated launch of ESPN Bet is HERE! PENN Entertainment has launched their new ESPN-branded sportsbook today (Tuesday, November 14). Sports bettors have had many questions about the new betting app, including: which states will ESPN Bet be available in? Do I need to download a new app or will my ESPN sports app allow me to bet? How will ESPN Bet be different from other sportsbooks?
I will concisely answer all of these questions and more below!
What We Know About ESPN Bet
As more details emerge around the sportsbook, I will provide updates here. But here is all the pertinent information around the new ESPN betting app:
When Will ESPN Bet Be Available?
PENN has now launched their ESPN Bet app! It went live at 3pm ET on Tuesday, November 14. You can sign up with our exclusive promo code DIME below for an enhanced welcome offer!
Where Can I Download the ESPN Bet App?
We have a link to download the ESPN Bet app below. Both iOS and Android users are able to get the ESPN Bet app.
Just be sure to use our promo code DIME, which you have to enter yourself, or you won’t get the full value of the offer.
What States Will ESPN Bet Be In?
ESPN Bet has launched in the following 17 states: AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV. If you are not in one of these 17 states, you will have to wait to get your hands on the industry’s newest betting app.
Will There Be a Signup Bonus for New Users?
Yes, there is a signup bonus for new users at ESPN Bet! Our exclusive ESPN Bet promo code is available now. Use the code DIME and you’ll get $250 in bonus bets after you bet anything – as little as a dollar – on any event you like.
The $250 in bonus bets will be broken up into five $50 bonus bets that need to be used within seven days of receiving them. The first four will be credited to your account right after placing your first cash bet (of any amount), and the fifth will hit your account 24-48 hours after.
As is the case with every sportsbook, ESPN Bet is going to require some information from you to register. You will need the following:
- Your email
- Your phone number
- Create a username & password for the app
- Apply a promo code if you have one (Use DIME for an enhanced offer)
- Last four digits of your SSN
- It will then ask you to set responsible gaming limits for yourself
- Accept the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use at ESPN Bet
- Upload one of your driver’s license, ID card, or passport
- Take a selfie to submit
Once this is all submitted, you will be able to make a deposit and then your first cash wager (en route to receiving your $250 bonus if you use the promo code DIME)!
How Is ESPN Bet Different from Other Sportsbooks?
While it’s still early, the one unique thing we do know here is ESPN Bet is integrated into the ESPN sports app. Users will be able to check scores & stats, read stories, and load up a bet slip all in one place before moving over to the sportsbook to place the bet. No other sportsbook is tied into any sports media app like this. Another benefit of this is going to be a very personalized experience in the ESPN Bet app for each user, thanks to the customizable settings in the sports media app.
I suspect the ESPN betting app is also going to attract a lot of attention from bettors when they realize you can bet the “no” on NFL anytime touchdown props. No other sportsbook allows you to bet both sides of this prop, resulting in other betting apps not being held accountable for shortening lines on the most popular players. Although the ESPN sportsbook is charging a fair amount of vig on the prop, it is extremely valuable to be able to bet both sides.
The fun part of this is they’ll also let you use their Parlay+ feature, which encompasses same-game parlays as well as SGPs parlayed with other bets (can even be other SGPs), to parlay up to ten players to not score a touchdown in their respective games. What’s really nice is they don’t just offer this for star players. You can find some bottom of the depth chart guys and parlay them all together to get yourself to an even-money (or better) bet.
ESPN Bet is also unique in letting you bet the “no” on any NFL first touchdown scorer and any NBA first basket scorer prop. You cannot parlay these together, though.
How Can I Deposit Money at ESPN Bet?
We now know ESPN Bet will accept deposits with the following:
- Online banking
- Credit Card (not in TN, MA, or IA)
- Debit card
- PayPal
- Venmo
- VIP Preferred (ACH Bank Transfer)
- Skrill
- Wire Transfer
As long as you have one of those, you will be able to deposit with ESPN’s sportsbook.
Can You Bet Through ESPN Sports App?
Technically, you will not be able to actually place bets inside the traditional ESPN sports media app. You will, however, be able to see betting odds and load up a bet slip from your ESPN sports media app. When it actually comes time to place the bets, you will be transferred over to the ESPN Bet app. PENN CEO Jay Snowden spoke quite a bit about the seamless transition between the two ESPN apps at the ESPN Edge Conference.
Who Owns ESPN Bet?
PENN Entertainment owns ESPN Bet. They are going to pay ESPN $2 billion over ten years for the rights to use their brand on PENN’s sportsbook product.
What Is the Promo Code for Signing Up to ESPN Bet?
Will ESPN Employees Be Able to Bet on Sports?
ESPN has sent out sports betting guidelines to their employees, stating they cannot bet on markets they cover in an attempt to maintain their journalistic integrity.
Will ESPN Bet Offer Same-Game Parlays?
Yes, ESPN Bet will allow bettors to place same-game parlays, and will even allow you to combine your SGP with a bet from another game, or even combine two different SGPs. They refer to their same-game parlay feature as “Parlay+.”
What Is ESPN Bet?
ESPN Bet is an online sportsbook / sports betting app that launched November 14. PENN Entertainment has purchased the rights to use ESPN’s brand on this new sportsbook.
What Is the ESPN Bet App Like?
From what I have seen so far, the app is very clean and smooth. It’s very responsive to your touch, so no need to double-click things or wonder if you didn’t click properly.
What Type of Betting Markets Will ESPN Bet Offer?
ESPN Bet does not currently offer as many betting markets as the likes of DraftKings or FanDuel, specifically when it comes to player and game props. Sadly, users are not able to bet alternate lines on player props, even when it comes to same-game parlays, or what they refer to as Parlay+. These markets will get added in time, though.
All your traditional markets—moneyline, spread, total, team totals, player props etc—are available with pretty fair pricing.
Which ESPN Personalities Will Be Involved in Betting?
The show formerly known as Daily Wager on ESPN has been rebranded to ESPN Bet Live as of Friday, November 10. The show features hosts Joe Fortenbaugh and Tyler Fulgham, with appearances by Erin Dolan, Anita Marks, and “Stanford” Steve Coughlin, among others.
We are also expecting Scott Van Pelt and Elle Duncan to be heavily involved in promoting the ESPN Bet app. But also be ready to see Pat McAfee involved in some way as well.
How Do I Get ESPN Bet?
I recommend you click through our link below to get ESPN Bet. Not only will you be sent through to register an account and download the app (for either iOS or Android), but you can also get our enhanced signup offer of $250 in bonuses. Just be sure to use the promo code DIME!
Is ESPN Bet an App?
ESPN Bet is a sports betting app. The app is integrated with ESPN’s traditional media app as well. You can also access ESPN’s sportsbook on the web as well.
Why Does ESPN Bet Appear Under “Barstool Sportsbook” in Google?
We aren’t sure what happened in the migration from Barstool Sportsbook to ESPN Bet that has left the old brand appearing to be the owner of the site, but we can confirm this is in fact ESPN’s sportsbook.
You can see the URL (website address) has changed as has the title. I’m sure PENN will be correcting this immediately.
Early Reviews of ESPN Bet from New Users
With ESPN Bet still being very new, there aren’t a ton of people commenting on it yet, but here is what we have found so far:
Like the Bonus Bets at ESPN Bet, Not the Look of the App
ESPN Bet Missing Alt Lines
This, as I had assumed, seems to be the top complaint right now. ESPN Bet does not offer alt lines for props, so you are unable to take a “safer” line or ladder any player props.
PENN CEO Jay Snowden had mentioned they were entering the market a touch behind in certain areas, but that they would be working hard to add the key features missing. It sounds like this is going to be a big one!
Promo Code Isn’t Working
The good news here for Mr. October is that it’s more of a misunderstanding. He has claimed that the ESPN Bet promo code didn’t work for him, but we discovered he just thought he was getting all $250 in bonus bets right away. Four of the $50 bonus bets will come in right after your first bet, but the fifth one will be credited to your account 24-48 hours after your first bet. As long as you input the code DIME, everything should work.
Poor Signup Offer
NicksPicks here is concerned with ESPN Bet’s $1,000 deposit match offer for new users. Due to the 5% cashback rate on this bonus, we would definitely recommend you use our promo code DIME to get $250 in bonus bets instead. You would have to wager $20,000 over the span of 30 days, after depositing $1,000 as well, in order to receive the full value of the deposit match offer. To put it in other words, there is a 20x playthrough requirement on the $1,000 to actually unlock the full value.
Most bettors just don’t wager that much.
Ineligible for ESPN Bet Welcome Offer
This user is unsure if they are eligible for a signup bonus because they had a Barstool Sportsbook account. Sadly, any Barstool Sportsbook users are not going to be considered new players with ESPN Bet.
Slow Payouts Experienced by Some
Though this has not been a common complaint, we have seen some users saying they have had to wait lengthy periods to withdraw their money.
Pushes at ESPN Bet Will Void the Whole Parlay
This one got a lot of attention on Twitter, as many bettors were outraged by what happened to one bettor who saw one of the five legs in his parlay push, winning the other four, and ESPN Bet voided the entire parlay, not just that one leg.
Almost every other major sportsbook will void the one leg that pushes and recalculate the odds with that voided leg removed. This is not ESPN Bet’s policy, though. This one goes up to PENN and was the case with Barstool Sportsbook and is the case with theScore Bet for Ontario users as well.
