Why I’m Betting Big on PENN and the Future of Sports Entertainment

By Aaron LaBerge , Chief Technology Officer, PENN Entertainment

It’s been an energizing first two months at PENN. In addition to doing everything that comes with a new job, I’ve spent time digging in with our teams across the country and Canada.

And this week, ESPN BET was approved to launch in New York state, our 20th jurisdiction. It’s a significant achievement, and a testament to the incredible work of so many here at PENN. ?Our upcoming launch is another steppingstone to achieving our larger goal.

That goal is simple: create the best product for sports fans by elevating how they find, place, and track their bets – both within ESPN BET and across the entire ESPN ecosystem. ??

Our goal is ambitious. Our competitors in the space are formidable. And it’s undeniable that we have ground to make up, as we are still relatively new compared to others.

Nonetheless, I wholeheartedly believe in what PENN and ESPN are building together.

That’s why, after over two amazing decades at Disney, I decided to make this leap. To me, the opportunity to apply my background in unlocking the combined power of retail, media, and digital assets to reimagine industry-best customer experiences at PENN was too special to pass up.

What stands out to me most about the opportunity with my new colleagues is the solid foundation PENN has built.?

For more than 50 years, PENN has executed a differentiated strategy that has transformed the business from a brick-and-mortar regional gaming operator into North America’s leading provider of integrated entertainment, sports content, and casino gaming experiences.

Today, PENN spans retail gaming, media and content, including our strategic sports betting alliance with ESPN and online gaming.

Our opportunity extends beyond these individual businesses, though.

One of my remits as chief technology officer is to accelerate the growth and innovation of our current betting products. Currently, we have a network of over 4 million unique digital bettors that was built in just the past 3.5 years, world-class capabilities, and a robust technology stack.

By leveraging these assets as well as PENN’s portfolio of 43 properties across the U.S., unique media partnerships and growing digital footprint, we can elevate gaming experiences across platforms to deliver differentiated experiences for customers while also driving revenue and engagement.

As we elevate our offerings, we’re making betting more accessible to everyone. Whether you’re new to betting and eager to learn, or a seasoned player looking to explore our latest features, our goal is to become a premier betting destination that’s fun, approachable, and intuitive.

This work is already underway. While 2024 was an investment year at PENN with focus on areas like platform migration, rebranding and new state launches, we’re now further accelerating work on our product roadmap and growth strategies.?

To this point, in anticipation of fall football season, we’ve introduced some significant product improvements to ESPN BET.

For example, ESPN BET’s parlay system has been overhauled. Our old interface didn’t allow for filtering and made it difficult for users to search for specific parlays. Now, users can take advantage of the new Parlay Lounge, which features the ability to see the number of bets others have placed. ?Patrons who want to follow a game live can also now easily access ESPN Gamecasts as well as broadcast streams. Additionally, dark mode, easier navigation throughout the app, trending bets, profit boosts, and referrals are all new features available to our users.

Other new features like account linking enable us to better integrate and leverage the wider ESPN ecosystem. Driving integration between our powerful platforms is a significant opportunity. Being able to place a bet on ESPN BET and then seamlessly being able to see and track that bet on the ESPN App just removes the friction fans experience today.

All of this, however, is just the start; football season will be one of our first opportunities to engage fans with an updated set of features. New capabilities will continue to be rolled out during the fall and into the new year.

With our dynamic vision for the future, technology talent, and our partnership with ESPN, the possibilities for ESPN BET are limitless.?

But our expectations are clear: we don’t just want to be in the middle of the pack, we want to win.