Who owns ESPN Bet?
ESPN Bet was owned by PENN Entertainment, Inc., a Nasdaq-listed US casino company, not by ESPN. PENN ended its licence deal with ESPN early, and on 1 December 2025 the app was renamed theScore Bet. In Pennsylvania the brand ran under the certificate of Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.
| Ultimate owner | PENN Entertainment, Inc. (listed (Nasdaq:PENN)) |
|---|---|
| Operating company | Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association, LLC d/b/a Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, US-PA |
| Licenses | USA Pennsylvania — PGCB Interactive gaming certificate |
| Products | Sports betting, Casino |
| Website | espnbet.com |
| Sister casinos | 3 |
| Fines and actions | 9 |
| Owner proof | verified |
| Last checked | 14 Oct 2026 |
In numbers
- Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association, LLC d/b/a Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course also runs 2 other gambling brands under the same company and licence.
- PENN Entertainment, Inc. owns 4 brand families with 6 websites in our data.
- 9 regulator fines against the owner since 2023, about €365,000 in total (converted to euros).
Who is behind it
ESPN Bet launched on 14 November 2023 and replaced Barstool Sportsbook. PENN bought theScore in 2021, and its digital arm is built on it. PENN ended the ESPN deal early and took a large write-down. Its online casino runs as Hollywood Casino and theScore Casino.
In Pennsylvania the certificate holder is Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association, LLC, which trades as Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.
License and what it means for you
Online gambling in the US is licensed state by state. A state licence covers players inside that state only, and each licensing state runs its own self-exclusion list. ESPN Bet ran in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan and West Virginia.
Sister sites
PENN runs 3 other brands in our data: theScore Bet, Hollywood Casino online and Barstool Sportsbook, which was rebranded.
Fines and regulator actions
Our data lists 9 actions against PENN companies. In February 2024 Pennsylvania fined Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association $97,500 because weak controls on Penn Interactive platforms let people open accounts with other people's identities. In August 2025 New Jersey fined Penn Interactive $27,500 and ordered it to give up $4,194.26. In October 2026 Ontario's AGCO fined Score Media and Gaming CAD 200,000 over parlay cash-out offers that were not honoured.
Licences
| Regulator | Type | Valid | Check it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA Pennsylvania — PGCB Interactive gaming certificate | — | active | register |
What these licences mean for you
- A US state licence covers players inside that state only. Each licensing state runs its own self-exclusion list.
About PENN Entertainment, Inc.
Regional casino owner (Hollywood Casino properties) with a digital arm built on theScore, bought in 2021. It ended its ESPN licence early and rebranded ESPN Bet as theScore Bet on Dec 1 2025, taking a large write-down; online casino runs as Hollywood Casino and theScore Casino.
Headquarters: US · Founded: 1972 · Ownership: listed (Nasdaq:PENN)
How we know, and what we could not confirm
How we know: Launched Nov 14 2023 replacing Barstool; licence deal with ESPN ended early, app renamed theScore Bet Dec 1 2025.
- We have no company registration number for Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association, LLC d/b/a Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.
3 sister casinos
Same owner often means the same terms, the same support team and the same payout rules. A self-exclusion at one brand may not cover its sister sites.
- theScore Betthescore.bet
- Hollywood Casino (online)hollywoodcasino.com
- Barstool Sportsbookbarstoolsportsbook.com rebranded
Everything PENN Entertainment, Inc. owns, with fines and sources →
Regulator fines
| Date | Company | Regulator / court | Amount | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-06 | Score Media and Gaming Inc. (theScore.Bet) | AGCO (Ontario) | CAD 200,000 | Monetary penalty for showing cash-out offers on a parlay that were not honoured (Standard 4.07). source |
| 2026-08-04 | Penn Sports Interactive, LLC | USA Michigan — MGCB | — | Board approved an Acknowledgment of Violation against this internet gaming/sports betting supplier licensee; the minutes do not state the facts or the fine amount. source |
| 2026-05-12 | Penn Sports Interactive, LLC | USA Michigan — MGCB | — | Board approved an Acknowledgment of Violation against this internet gaming/sports betting supplier licensee; the minutes do not state the facts or the fine amount. source |
| 2026-01-15 | Penn Interactive / Penn Sports Interactive | USA New Jersey — DGE | USD 2,000 | DGE Director's ruling (summary for jan1-15 2026): $2,000 civil penalty on Penn Sports Interactive pursuant to a Notice of Violation regarding software rules source |
| 2025-10-07 | Score Media and Gaming Inc. | AGCO (Ontario) | CAD 105,000 | Monetary penalty for failing to act on clear signs of gambling harm by a high-stakes patron (about $230k lost over eight months). source |
| 2025-09-15 | Penn Interactive / Penn Sports Interactive | USA New Jersey — DGE | USD 3,000 | DGE Director's ruling (summary for sep1-15 2025): $3,000 civil penalty on Penn Interactive pursuant to an Action in Lieu of Complaint and denied its request to void certain wagers for failing to correctly list a wagering market source |
| 2025-08-15 | Penn Interactive / Penn Sports Interactive | USA New Jersey — DGE | USD 27,500 | DGE Director's ruling (summary for aug1-15 2025): civil penalty of $27,500 and ordered the disgorgement of $4,194.26 against Penn Interactive pursuant to an Action in Lieu of Complaint for violation of self-exclusion rules source |
| 2024-02-21 | Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association, LLC (Penn Interactive Ventures platforms) | USA Pennsylvania — PGCB | USD 97,500 | Consent agreement: weak controls on Penn Interactive's online casino/sportsbook let people open accounts with other people's identities, fund them with stolen cards and withdraw funds. source |
| 2023-03-22 | Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association, LLC (Hollywood Casino at Penn National) | USA Pennsylvania — PGCB | USD 45,000 | Consent agreement: five people on the iGaming self-exclusion list were able to gamble on the online Barstool Sportsbook. source |
Ratings elsewhere
- Trustpilot: read the reviews there
Ratings from other websites, with their source. We do not copy their reviews, and they do not change our facts.
Questions and answers
Does ESPN Bet still exist?
No. PENN renamed it theScore Bet on 1 December 2025.
Did ESPN own ESPN Bet?
No. PENN Entertainment owned the sportsbook and used the ESPN name under a licence deal.
Who owns theScore Bet?
PENN Entertainment, Inc.
Sources
- https://cdcgaming.com/brief/a-new-dawn-for-penn-espn-bet-is-replaced-with-thescore-bet/
- https://www.ingame.com/penn-ends-espn-bet-deal/
- https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/sites/default/files/licensure/Expanded%20Gaming%20Information%20and%20Links/Online_Operator_Master_List.pdf
Last checked 14 Oct 2026. How we check facts. Gambling can be addictive. Help: BeGambleAware, GamStop, Gamblers Anonymous.