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ESPN, which has long prided itself on being the leading source in sports news coverage, has sold its soul to the devil as this week it is effectively just another sportsbook.
David Payne Purdum is among the best in the biz at reporting on the industry. Unfortunately, when he reports on another sportsbook's misdeeds, most recently DraftKings voiding bets due to an apparent "software glitch", he's effectively calling out one of his employer's competitors.
That's the dilemma all ESPN personalities find themselves in these days.
All Payne and everyone else associated with ESPN can hope for is that ESPN does a "Fox Bet" and just get rid of the brand entirely.
Pro sports bettor Captain Jack Andrews, returning to Twitter following a brief hiatus, put it best.
"Don't forget to @ your favorite ESPN personalities with your complaints about limits, grading disputes, and other issues you experience on @ESPNBet."
"When it comes to what will be the success of ESPN BET, you gotta think there's a dichotomy here of, they could be SkyBet ... or they could be FOX Bet." @capjack2000 assesses the outlook for the major new player in U.S. sports betting on the latest #GambleOn podcast: https://t.co/JpTadTcsM7 pic.twitter.com/W4E1VMsBO9
— US Bets (@US_Bets) November 17, 2023
If past practices are any indication, ESPN Bet will be limiting and voiding bets more sooner than later. It's parent company did so just recently when ESPN Bet was previously branded as Barstool Sportsbook. A leopard doesn't change its spots.
Back in the day, this very site you are reading was once accused of being owned by Bodog Sports. It was not, but the mere optics in the form of preferential treatment and the relentless promotion of that company's founder changed how many viewed the news originating from Gambling911.com.
And if we really wanted to we could sell our soul to Satan by simply setting up a sportsbook with any number of pay per head books. These companies provide outsourcing for would-be bookies and sportsbook operators, thus providing the opportunity for anybody to become the next ESPN Bet. You get a full software suite, oddsmakers, 24/7 customer service, a customized website and more. Some of these PPH businesses offer more options (live dealer casinos, horse racing, etc..) than what you'll find on an ESPN Bet or DraftKings.
If you don't want to keep 90% of the revenue coming in (a pay per head generally charges $10 to $15 per active customer per week no matter how much he or she wagers), there is also the ESPN Bet partnership route that Yours Truly, Jagajeet Chiba, would be better off taking as someone who doesn't have a bunch of sports gamblers lying in wait. Simply sign up to become an affiliate and get paid upwards of 35 percent on your referred players losses, those who sign up and start playing through your website link. We haven't seen the affiliate site yet but do know they've hired an affiliate management team as they just joined our LinkedIn Network.
There is a limit in that ESPN Bet only operates in 17 states at the moment.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
