Penn Moves Away from Portnoy & Barstool In Favor of McAfee with ESPN Bet

A news dump that shattered the current landscape of the online sports betting industry, PENN Entertainment officially announced on August 8 that they would be creating an online sportsbook with ESPN and closing down Barstool Sportsbook.

It felt like only a matter of time before ESPN inserted themselves into the online sports betting game. They had been slowly phasing out a lot of their traditional sports coverage, and the recent acquisition of podcast personality Pat McAfee (who is a sports betting supporter) felt like a precursor to a bigger move.

Now that is officially a thing and Barstool Sportsbook is no more, it s hard to ignore the likelihood that PENN felt better about a long-term relationship with McAfee than they did Portnoy.

What Will Pat McAfee s Role Wi…

Missouri Sports Betting Bill Advancing Through House, But Does it Matter?

A sports betting bill is making its way through the House of Representatives, but likely faces uncertainty in the Senate if approved.

Rep. Dan Houx (R-54) introduced a bill last month, , to legalize retail and online sports betting in the state with a tax rate of 10% on adjusted gross revenue. Under his proposal, Missouri’s 13 casinos would be able to offer retail sports betting and partner with up to three operators for online sports betting.

A Special Committee on Public Policy recommended the bill do pass by a 5-2 vote last week.

Is Progress All for Nothing?

Under Houx s bill, Missouri’s 13 casinos would be able to offer retail sports betting and partner with up to three operators for online sports betting. Missouri professional sports team would be able…