ESPN BET Sportsbook to Launch in Fall 2023 After Agreement with Penn Entertainment

Sports betting isn't going away any time soon, and ESPN is jumping into the gambling industry head-on.

The self-proclaimed "worldwide leader in sports" has reached an agreement with Penn Entertainment to launch ESPN BET sportsbook this fall, the company announced Tuesday. It will launch in the 16 states where Penn Entertainment has sports betting licenses.

"Our primary focus is always to serve sports fans and we know they want both betting content and the ability to place bets with less friction from within our products," said ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. "The strategy here is simple: to give fans what they've been requesting and expecting from ESPN. PENN Entertainment is the perfect partner to build an unmatched user experience for sports betting with ESPN BET."

ESPN BET will join an ever-growing gambling market that includes the likes of major sports betting companies like DraftKings, Caesars, FanDuel and BetMGM, among others. Like those companies, ESPN will offer a mobile app, website and mobile website.