Those who enjoy gambling on their favorite sport may welcome the announcement of a deal between ESPN, arguably the most powerful sports media brand, and casino operator Penn Entertainment to create ESPN Bet, a branded sportsbook that will be available on all devices and some retail locations.
There is a certain air of inevitability around this deal. From a cold start four years ago, legal sportsbooks have quickly become a fact of American sport. Whether or not you’re a bettor, there’s no getting away from gambling ads on TV, on mobile phones and in sporting venues. Inevitably, too, calls to gambling hotlines have spiked.
