BetMGM vs ESPN BET reads like a matchup between two sportsbooks that each launched behind a household name, but the names came from opposite directions. MGM Resorts International and Entain co-own BetMGM outright, split 50/50 — there is no landlord who could take the name back. ESPN BET was never owned by ESPN at all; PENN Entertainment paid to rent the ESPN trademark for a fixed term, and when that term ended eight years early, the ESPN BET brand ended with it.
Two Different Ways to Get a Famous Name
BetMGM launched in 2018 as a genuine joint venture: MGM Resorts brought the Las Vegas casino brand, physical properties, and gaming licenses; Entain brought sportsbook technology and international operating experience. Both companies hold an equity stake in BetMGM itself, not a licensing fee arrangement. PENN Entertainment took a different route in 2023, paying ESPN roughly $150 million a year — part of a 10-year deal reportedly worth $1.5–2 billion — for the right to slap the ESPN name on what had been Barstool Sportsbook. PENN never owned any part of ESPN, and ESPN never owned any part of the sportsbook.
Why this matters more than it sounds: an equity stake in a brand and a trademark license on a brand are not the same asset. MGM and Entain cannot unilaterally strip their own name off BetMGM. ESPN could, and eventually did, let its license with PENN lapse — both sides describe it as mutual, but the mechanism only existed because PENN was renting, not owning.
Is BetMGM Legal Everywhere ESPN BET Was?
Mostly overlapping, not identical. BetMGM sportsbook is licensed and live in 23 states plus Washington D.C. as of September 2026, most recently adding Missouri on December 1, 2025 — coincidentally the same day PENN retired the ESPN BET name. ESPN BET’s footprint before that rename sat around 20 states, and its successor, theScore Bet, has kept that map rather than growing it. A reader in a state where both used to appear side by side today sees one active BetMGM listing and one theScore Bet listing carrying PENN’s old licenses.
BetMGM vs ESPN BET (now theScore Bet)
| BetMGM | ESPN BET → theScore Bet | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand ownership | 50/50 equity JV: MGM Resorts + Entain | Rented trademark; PENN Entertainment operated |
| Name status, 2026 | Unchanged since 2018 launch | Retired Dec 1, 2025; renamed theScore Bet |
| Sportsbook footprint | 23 states + D.C. (Sept 2026) | ~20 states, unchanged post-rename |
| Casino states | MI, NJ, PA, WV | None under either name |
| Public backing | MGM Resorts (NYSE) + Entain (LSE) | PENN Entertainment (Nasdaq) |
Is ESPN BET Still Legit to Search For?
The sportsbook itself was always legitimate — PENN Entertainment is a decades-old, publicly traded gaming operator, not a fly-by-night name. What ended was purely the ESPN trademark license, by mutual agreement between PENN and ESPN, after reporting pointed to ESPN BET never breaking into the top three US sportsbooks by market share. Anyone still searching “ESPN BET promo code” in 2026 is looking for a brand that stopped taking signups under that name, not a scam that stopped paying out.
Which One Should You Actually Compare Today?
If the question is “BetMGM or ESPN BET,” there is no live ESPN BET to weigh it against — the honest comparison in 2026 is BetMGM against theScore Bet, on footprint, casino access, and current bonus terms, not against a name that no longer takes new customers. BetMGM’s advantage isn’t that it’s flashier; it’s that its ownership structure has no expiration date built into it the way a rented trademark does. Betting is entertainment spending on either app, never income. 21+ where legal; call 1-800-GAMBLER for help.