Hollywood Casino to Shut Down iGaming App With Arrival of ESPN Bet
Barstool Sportsbook is officially exiting the gaming industry as PENN Entertainment introduces ESPN Bet to Pennsylvania today. With the launch of ESPN Bet, Hollywood Casino PA will be phased out next month, and it will only be accessible through the ESPN Bet app moving forward.
While the Keystone State will still have 20 PA online casinos, the way customers access Hollywood’s online casinos is undergoing a significant change. PENN Entertainment is set to launch ESPN Bet today, marking a shift in the Pennsylvania online casino market.
Dan Sabreen, PENN Entertainment’s VP of Communications, informed PlayPennsylvania that Hollywood Casino PA will be seamlessly integrated into the ESPN Bet app.
After December 14, both the website and the app will be discontinued, and the exclusive way to access Hollywood’s online casino will be through downloading the ESPN Bet app.
PENN Entertainment’s CEO, Jay Snowden, detailed the process during the company’s Q2 2023 earnings call in August.
Snowden highlighted that users in Pennsylvania, when betting on sports within ESPN Bet, would have the capability to seamlessly transition to Hollywood Casino by clicking on the Casino icon within the same app and platform, similar to the current experience between Barstool Sportsbook and Barstool iCasino.
Starting today, Hollywood Casino PA will cease accepting deposits, requiring customers to use the funds already in their wallets for gambling.
Wagers can be placed until December 11, after which all forms of online casino betting will be temporarily suspended leading up to the complete shutdown on December 14.
Customers won’t have the option to transfer funds to the new platform. Hollywood encourages customers to withdraw funds before December 14, with a check being mailed to the registered address if a withdrawal isn’t completed.
The impact of ESPN Bet on the PA online sports betting industry is notable. The same access rules apply: customers must download the app and create a new account to use the sportsbook.
Although PENN Entertainment split with Barstool and partnered with ESPN in August, CEO Jay Snowden chose to launch during the middle of the football season rather than as soon as possible.
In a Q3 2023 earnings call, Snowden elaborated on his rationale, emphasizing the importance of ensuring a top-notch product upon launch.
Snowden highlighted the significance of making a favorable first impression and noted that they had implemented several enhancements to the app ahead of the launch.
Additionally, Snowden mentioned their intention for the reskin to fully encompass the ESPN and ESPN Bet experience by the time they went live, and they had ample time to accomplish these objectives.
ESPN Bet faces tough competition, with FanDuel Sportsbook PA and DraftKings Sportsbook PA dominating the state’s market. Combined, these apps account for 65.8% of the total bets in the state.
ESPN Bet is projected to capture between 10-20% of the national market share, according to a Q2 2023 presentation by PENN Entertainment. Snowden emphasized in August that they are not aiming for a 4% or 5% market share and expect ESPN Bet to hold a more substantial position.
ESPN Bet will have a full month of the NFL regular season in December to showcase its capabilities. The outcome and performance of the new sportsbook in Pennsylvania will be observed in January.
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