Expert verdict

Thanks to unique betting features like FanCenter and sports-specific bonuses such as 3HR Protection, ESPN Bet delivers a genuinely well-rounded sportsbook experience. This is nicely backed up by competitive odds that averaged 94.97% when testing across several major sports collectively, including football and basketball.

With 10 transaction methods available, ESPN Bet is also home to a flexible range of payment options that cover everything from traditional banking to more modern picks like PayPal and Venmo. The majority of these methods allow for instant deposits as well as same-day withdrawals, making for a reliable and efficient all-around experience.

Customer service at ESPN Bet was top-notch. The live agents were professional, informative, and quick to respond. However, before reaching an agent, you’ll have to contend with a default AI chatbot. While this software technology certainly has its place, it has also proved to be very limiting and, as such, very frustrating, so bear that in mind.

All in all, ESPN Bet gets the fundamentals right and even excels in many areas, such as bonuses and reliable betting payments. That said, other aspects give me the impression of a platform that still needs improving, but one that is also more than capable of doing so.

Where is ESPN Bet legal?

As of October 2023, ESPN Bet is legal in 19 U.S. states as well as the capital, Washington D.C.

• Arizona
• Colorado
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• Tennessee
• Virginia
• Washington D.C.
• West Virginia

Sportsbook bonuses at ESPN Bet

ESPN Bet’s selection of betting bonuses offer some creative rewards for both new and existing players.

From $100 bonus bets with low entry requirements to insurance policies that help mitigate losses and gain you some bonus funds, here are some of the promotions that were on offer at the time of testing.

Bonus facts

New player exclusive

New players who register an account at ESPN Bet will be entitled to $100 in bonus bets once they deposit and place a wager of $10 or more. These can be placed as one bet or spread across smaller wagers that collectively add up to $10.

Regardless of whether your qualifying bet wins or loses, the bonus bets will be awarded to you in batches of $20 over 5 days. The first batch will be credited to your account once your initial wager has settled. Plus, the funds can be used on any sportsbook wager with no requirement on minimum odds.

It’s important to note that the bonus bets are non-withdrawable, only its winnings are. Furthermore, once credited, bonus bets must be used up within 7 days before they expire. The promotion itself is valid for players who sign up after August 22nd, 2025 and runs until December 31st, 2025.

Injury insurance

Since September 4th 2025, ESPN Bet has also been running an Injury Insurance promotion for football betting. If your bet results in a loss due to a player getting injured, you will receive a 100%, full refund, in the form of bonus bets.

Valid until January 1, 2026, the offer only applies if the injury occurs in the first half (Q1 or Q2) and the player is ruled out for the second half. Combination bets such as parlays, Same Game Parlays (SGP), and teasers are all eligible for this promotion. If one leg is affected, the rest remain active with recalculated odds.

Live betting and non-cash wagers are ineligible, while cashing out early will also make the promotion void. Bonus bets are typically credited within 72 hours and must be used within seven days.

Overtime protection

Another promotion primed for football fans is ESPN Bet’s Overtime Protection offer. As the name suggests, if your team loses during overtime, ESPN Bet softens the blow by refunding 100% of your original stake (up to $1,000) in bonus bets.

With no opt-in required, all you need to do is place a pre-game wager on any NFL moneyline bet. The promotion, which began on September 4th, 2025, runs through to February 9th the following year, directly coinciding with the end of the football season. During this period, there’s no limit on how many times you can benefit from this offer.

Live bets, profit boosts, or any wagers settled as cashouts do not qualify for this promotion. Bonus bets will be applied to your account within 72 hours and must be used up within seven days. The bonus funds are non-withdrawable, though any winnings can be cashed out normally. No minimum odds requirement is listed in the terms.

Play of the Week

Staying on theme with football, Play of the Week is a unique multi-layered bonus running from September 6th, 2025, up until January 6th of the following year. During this period, ESPN Bet introduces a fresh betting challenge each week of the NFL season.

To opt in to week 1, you must take part in the following challenge:

• Place a $10+ Parlay or SGP cash wager on any NFL market(s) with 3+ Legs, +400 minimum odds

Completing weekly challenges like the one above will earn you a profit boost ranging between 10% and 50%, along with automatic entry into a $50,000 weekly jackpot shared among 500 randomly selected winners.

Additionally, players earn 10 points for each completed challenge and an extra 10 points for every $100 wagered cumulatively on NFL markets. By the end of the promotion, you’ll also receive $1 in bonus bets for every 10 points earned. Bonus bets are credited within 72 hours and must be used up within seven days.

3HR protection

ESPN Bet’s 3HR Protection is another refund-style promotion, this time aimed at MLB enthusiasts. To qualify, players must place a pre-live cash wager on any MLB game taking place between October 1st until November 1st, 2025.

If your chosen team loses but manages to hit at least three home runs, then you can claim back 100% of your wager (up to $100) in bonus bets that can be used on any sportsbook wager, including parlays. So long as it is an MLB game, players can take advantage of this offer multiple times during the promotion period, with no cap on the amount of bonus bets that can be claimed.

With no minimum odds requirement, bonus funds are typically credited within 72 hours and must be settled within 7 days. Live wagers, boosted bets, and early cashouts are not eligible for this promotion.

Join the Mint Club

If you link your ESPN Bet account with your ESPN app, you’ll instantly receive a no-deposit $5 bonus bet that can be used on any sportsbook wager. The offer is only available to those who link their accounts between October 1st and November 1st 2025.

You can do this by heading over to ‘Settings’ on your ESPN app or, alternatively, go to ‘My Account’ on your ESPN Bet profile. From there on, simply follow the prompts to complete the link.

Aside from benefiting from the $5 bonus bet, you’ll automatically join the Mint Club, a loyalty program where you can gain access to ongoing perks such as:

• Weekly offers: deposit matches, profit boosts, and  bonus bet click and collects
• Monthly giveaways: bonus bets, Mint Club merchandise
• Exclusive ESPN App features: Favorites Ticker plus ability to track bets

Refer-a-friend

Running from August 11th until November 1st 2025, ESPN Bet’s Refer a Friend promotion rewards both you and your friend for signing up and playing.

To be eligible, simply send a referral link to your friend via the ESPN Bet app. Your friend must then complete a few steps of their own:

1. Create an account using the referral link
2. Deposit a minimum of $25
3. Place a single wager of $25 or more

Players in Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New Jersey will receive a $40 bonus bet, plus 50 bonus spins at $0.20c per spin. However, players in all other eligible states will instead receive a $50 bonus bet. 

The additional funds come with zero minimum odds requirements and will be credited to your account within 72 hours. All funds must be used up within seven days.

Welcome to PENN

Welcome to PENN Play connects ESPN Bet players with Penn Entertainment’s loyalty program available in over 35 destinations across the U.S. Available from September 12th until January 1st, 2026, it combines both digital and in-person benefits.

The ESPN Bet site offers few information on what this entails, however, a quick visit to the rewards section on the Penn Entertainment website gives a clearer indication of what the benefits look like. Firstly, ESPN Bet players must download the PENN Play app available on both iOS and Android.

Then, players can earn tier points both through ESPN Bet and Hollywood Casino and in-casino. Some perks include:

• Up to $150 in PENN cash bonuses
• Uber and Uber Eats vouchers worth up to $40
• Up to $250 in PENN Play credit to use on ESPN Bet

The value of your reward depends on whether you are a Preferred, Elite or Owners Club member.

Sports and markets at ESPN Bet

ESPN Bet’s sportsbook catalog covers 24 different sporting disciplines, catering to both traditional as well as more niche betting markets. When it comes to great American pastimes, you’ll find all the usual suspects, such as MLB, NBA, NHL, and the NFL. This also extends to college football and women’s leagues like the WNBA.

In fact, basketball fans can explore betting markets spanning 11 different countries, including South Korea, France, Germany, Greece and several Latin American nations like Mexico and Argentina.

Sports facts

ESPN Bet’s coverage for soccer is even more impressive, featuring top leagues from over 33 countries across the globe. Prime examples include the English Premier League, La Liga, and the Bundesliga, along with international and continental tournaments like the World Cup and the UEFA Champions League.

ESPN Bet also caters to motor-enthusiasts, with Nascar and Formula 1, while fight fans can bet on both boxing and the UFC. Other, more niche, entries include Aussie Rules, Lacrosse, and depending on the season, even Jai Alai.

Betting features at ESPN Bet

The FanCenter allows players to link their ESPN Fantasy teams with their ESPN Bet account. This in turn allows for more personalized betting options built around your favorite NFL teams and players. Its offerings include custom parlays, and ESPN roster specific markets within the NHL.

ESPN Bet’s Watch and Bet on NFL gives you the power to stream and wager on NFL games in real time. You can achieve this all from the comfort of your own phone via the ESPN Bet app.

Feature facts

Simply download the app and login using your existing credentials. Then, place a bet on a live game and you’ll be given instant access to the stream, ensuring you never miss a play!

Aside from the above features, ESPN Bet is also home to a number of standard, yet no less expected, betting features that include parlays, Same Game Parlays (SGP), teasers, live betting, and early cashouts.

Odds at ESPN Bet

Having tested multiple different sports with varying odds, ESPN Bet scored a sturdy yet decent average payout of 94.97%.

The NFL delivered the strongest results with a very respectable average payout rating of 96.15%. This was closely followed by basketball at 95.42%.

Odds facts

At the time of testing, the MLB season has closed and while the World Series is just around the corner, there aren’t enough fixtures to produce a fair rating. The same goes for the NHL which is just about to kick off.

For live betting, which is generally considered more volatile, ESPN Bet still produced a consistent average payout of 94.37%.

Payment methods at ESPN Bet

ESPN Bet supports 11 transaction methods. This includes 10 deposit options and 9 with withdrawal methods that cater to both casual players and high rollers.

The available deposit methods are:

• Debit and credit cards: Visa and Mastercard / limits imposed by bank
• Online banking: Run by Trustly / limits imposed by bank
• Apple Pay: $500 cap per transaction
• ACH/e-Check: Powered by VIP Preferred
• PayPal: No max deposit limit
• Skrill: $2,000 per transaction (up to $250k max limit after account verification)
• Venmo: No max deposit limit
• Cash at casino: $100,000 max deposit
• Wire transfer: $10,000 min deposit

Most of the above mentioned methods provide instant deposits, allowing you to quickly and efficiently fund your account with no hassle. That said, wire transfers, online banking, and ACH/e-Check may take 2-3 business days to be processed.

Payment facts

To avoid delays, withdrawals can only be made using a payment method that has been verified for a deposit. For instance, if you initially fund your account via a debit card but wish to withdraw via Venmo, you’ll first need to make a deposit using Venmo.

With that said, below you can find a breakdown of all the withdrawal methods along with their processing speed and limits.

• Debit card: Instant withdrawal / maximum limit of $50,000
• Online banking: 2-3 working days / limit not specified
• ACH/e-Check: 2-3 working days / $999,999 maximum limit per transaction
• PayPal: Instant / no limits
• Skrill: Instant / no limits
• Venmo: Instant / no limits
• Cash at casino: Cash pick-up available for 7 days / $100,000 maximum limit per transaction
• Wire transfer: Within 24 hours / $50,000 minimum withdrawal
• Check: 14 – 21 business days / $250 minimum withdrawal

Providers such as American Express and Discover are notably absent from the list of deposit options.

Player safety at ESPN Bet

ESPN Bet holds high standards when it comes to player protection and financial security. This platform features a number of responsible gambling initiatives that enable users to take control of their spending and playing time.

This includes a series of in-built self-service tools that you can access at any time within your account settings via browser or app. From here, you can set deposit and time limits based on a daily, weekly and even monthly basis.

Once a time limit is set, it remains locked until the selected period rests:  Daily limits reset at midnight UTC, weekly on Mondays, and monthly on the first day of the month.

• Spend Limit: Restrict the total amount you can wager on over a chosen time frame.
• Loss Limit: Mitigates your total net losses (wagers minus winnings) across chosen time frames.
• Cool Off: Temporary break ranging between 72 hours up to one year. Prevents you from making bets, though withdrawals remain available via customer support.
• Disable Casino: Restricts access to Hollywood Casino within ESPN Bet app. Sportsbook not affected.
• Max Single Wager Limit: Set a maximum amount you can stake per individual wager
• Exclude Payment Methods: Block certain deposit and withdrawal options
• Reality Check-in Interval: Scheduled reminders on how much you have wagered and spent during a session.

Finally, players also have the option for self-exclusion, offering a more permanent solution that enables them to take an extended break from wagering when needed.

This motion bans the player from the platform entirely for prelonged yet defined period of time. It can be activated directly via the Responsible Gaming and Patron Protection page on the ESPN Bet’s website. This procedure is not reversible once enacted and also voids all active bonuses and promotions.

Safety facts

ESPN Bet is home to a dedicated page on responsible gaming and how to bet responsibly. This also includes additional links for those seeking external help. In regards to nationwide resources, Gam Anon, National Council on Problem Gambling, Gamblers Anonymous, International Center for Responsible Gaming, and Suicide Prevention/988.

There are also state resources, including the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement within New Jersey.

In terms of security, ESPN Bet’s privacy policy operates under Penn Entertainment’s broader data security policies. This includes safeguards against loss, theft, and unauthorized access. In general, ESPN Bet’s management of data falls  in accordance with U.S. privacy laws.

ESPN Bet offers two-factor authentication for added account security. You can choose to enable and disable this feature every time you log into your account by selecting Settings and Login Preferences.

Support channels at ESPN Bet

ESPN Bet offers four main customer support channels for players. This includes 24/7 live chat, email assistance, a callback feature, and also via social media through X (formerly Twitter).

When it comes to instant messaging, the live chat feature automatically connects you to an AI chatbot. While this proved fine for basic questions, it struggled with more complex queries. When this happens, you can simply request to speak to a live representative.

Once you get through to them, you’ll find the customer service (CS) agents to be fast, efficient, and professional. You generally won’t have to wait more than a minute on average between replies. They tend to keep things friendly yet focused. No fluff, just clear and straightforward answers.

Support facts

As opposed to waiting on hold, ESPN Bet’s callback feature allows you to request a CS representative to call you within 24 hours. Alternatively, you can reach out via [email protected], with replies typically taking around 12 hours.

The site also hosts highly detailed and comprehensive FAQ sections, covering everyday topics from payments, responsible gaming, account management, and other technical issues.

Navigation and usability at ESPN Bet

ESPN Bet’s interface is user-friendly, complete with easily identifiable icons and an intuitive design that makes navigation straightforward and simple. While the overall layout is minimalistic in design, the main page does a good job of highlighting all the latest and upcoming action, including live games.

A sidebar on the left-hand side categorizes all available sportsbook wagers, with dropdown menus that enable you to select your favorite leagues and disciplines.

Platform facts

Available on both iOS and Android, the mobile app mirrors the desktop browser version almost entirely, albeit with adjusted icons better suited for smaller screens. Aside from that, players can still access different betting markets, claim promotions, make wagers, and withdraw funds if need be.

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