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ESPN Bet Highlights the Intersection between Sports, Entertainment & Betting

In a move that has felt inevitable for some time, ESPN has joined forces with PENN Entertainment and entered the world of sports betting, rebranding the popular Barstool brand as ESPN Bet in the process.
The entertainment world has been flirting with sports betting for some time now, but as the recent failure of FOX Bet showed, it is not always plain sailing. ESPN, however, feels like a very different beast to FOX, and with the power of Disney behind it, failure does not feel likely.
ESPN is one of the biggest sports broadcasters and brands in the world. It has a huge influence over the 21-40 male demographic, which will be key to its success in the gambling world. Any company attempting to succeed needs to understand the kind of content and services this demographic is looking for, and ESPN feels perfectly placed to deliver on this.
The move also continues to move the sports betting world into the mainstream, with ESPN’s reach being significantly bigger than any other industry brand.
At SGG Media, we believe the way people interact with sports and the way they bet is evolving, and this move perfectly highlights this. Betting has become essential to the matchday experience, and for many it has just as much a part of the day as their pre-match beer and catch-up with their buddies or checking out the team news.
The way sport is consumed has changed. Attend any sports game, whether it is NBA, NFL, NHL, or even your local minor-league teams, and you will see people regularly checking their phones to keep up to date with the game’s statistics and, in many cases, placing in-game bets.
ESPN will now be bringing that to people’s homes. Betting, odds updates, and contests have become a regular part of sports broadcasts, and this deal could give to all sorts of new and innovative content. This continued intersection between sports, entertainment, and betting is only going to get closer, and ESPN has stepped into the game at the opportune moment.
Talking of opportune moments, the move comes just months after ESPN announce cost-cutting lay-offs. The injection of cash from this deal will be significant, and as the company deals with the ever changing viewing and TV landscape, the betting industry will provide a whole never revenue stream.
Of course, questions will be raised over ESPN’s impartiality with sports betting and how it will impact their product. A portion of their press-release was dedicated to their continued commitment to journalistic integrity, ensuring bettors and viewers that the merging of the two products will be seamless.
A quick glance across the Atlantic can give you an indication of how effective a sports broadcaster delivering its own sports-book product can be. Skybet in the UK is one of the most used sportsbooks in the country, and it has been able to blend effortlessly into Sky Sport’s broadcasts.
It has also been able to use clever promotions, such as its ‘Super 6’ prediction competition which it ties in cleverly with its coverage This has also helped to build a community around the sportsbook, tapping into the potential of that target demographic by encouraging them to partake in free-to-play leagues and tournaments with friends. Access to communities is essential in the modern sports betting environment, and it is something we have personally placed at the front of our micro-influencer marketing model.
Disney’s presence in this deal is a huge talking point. The House of Mouse has sent mixed signals about wanting to be involved in betting over the years, but ESPN provides them with the perfect vehicle. The early optics for the move have also appeared steady, with no indication of public backlash over Disney’s involvement.
The other part of this puzzle is Barstool being returned to its owner, Dave Portnoy. Once again, this is a smart move for everybody, Barstool has always been a disruptor, and its business strategy and ethos was never suited to being part of a publicly traded company. Portnoy himself has been a controversy magnet and it seems unlikely Disney or ESPN would want to be too heavily associated with the Barstool brand.
ESPN and Disney entering the iGaming space could kick start a new era of sports betting in the United States. The perfect cocktail of sports, betting, and entertainment coming together to create new content and opportunities for the industry.
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Plaza Hotel & Casino to celebrate Fourth of July with a holiday edition of its free Welcome to the Weekend Friday Fireworks

The Plaza Hotel & Casino will celebrate the Fourth of July with a bigger and brighter version of its weekly Welcome to the Weekend Friday Firework Show. As in past years, it will be the only Fourth of July fireworks show in downtown Las Vegas, and it is free to view.
Staged from the top of the Plaza’s South Tower on Friday, July 4, at 9:15 p.m., the public can watch the fireworks for free from in front of the Plaza on Main Street, which will be closed to vehicular traffic for viewing the fireworks from Carson Avenue to Ogden Avenue. Guests can also watch the fireworks from a free viewing party on the Plaza’s rooftop pool deck. Doors open for the rooftop viewing party at 7 p.m.
Also on July 4, the Plaza will host a Buffalo wing eating contest at Carousel Bar at 6 p.m. Inspired by the popular Buffalo wing eating competitions in Philadelphia, qualifying “Wing Offs” and the championship “Wing Bowl”, the July 4 contest will be a qualifying event for the Plaza’s main Wing Bowl event on Feb. 7, 2026. The Plaza will award $1,000 to the person who eats the most Buffalo wings in 10 minutes on July 4. The first and second place eaters will qualify for the Plaza’s Wing Bowl in February.
Carousel Bar and the rooftop pool will also feature special summertime cocktails. The rooftop fireworks viewing party will feature three specialty cocktails: a margarita with Casamigos Blanco Tequila and Cointreau Orange Liqueur, the “Cruiser & Captain” with Sun Cruiser Iced Tea, vodka, and a shot of Captain Morgan Sweet Chili Lime Rum, and the “You Call It” featuring Captain Morgan Sweet Chili Lime Rum.
The Plaza’s fireworks will be dependent on weather conditions and are subject to change or cancellation.
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EDGE Boost Launches Social Accountability Program, Adding Peer-based Accountability to its Roster of Responsible Gaming Tools

EDGE Markets, the company behind EDGE Boost, one of the first debit cards designed specifically for responsible gaming, announced the launch of its newest responsible gaming feature: a co-pilot system for social accountability. Through the EDGE Boost platform, users can nominate trusted friends or family to receive weekly reports of their transactions and participate in real-time limit adjustments, creating a shared commitment to more responsible play.
Social accountability leans on a core behavioral insight that accountability works best when it comes from someone you know, not a faceless platform or app. Early adoption of the co-pilot system has already exceeded expectations with 7% of EDGE Boost users enabling the feature, far surpassing the industry standard of 1-2% adoption for similar, operator-based responsible gaming tools.
“The reason why the co-pilot feature has been so successful is peer involvement. Social accountability is why having a gym buddy works. By involving a buddy in your betting lifestyle, one is set up even better for responsible play. We have always said that EDGE Boost’s mission is to provide a safer and more responsible environment for users to engage with gaming and we know social accountability is doing just that,” said Seni Thomas, Founder and CEO of EDGE Boost.
Co-pilots will receive weekly snapshots of a user’s EDGE Boost transactions. If a user attempts to raise their deposit or spending limits, a co-pilot must enter a verification code before the change can take effect.
The new feature aligns with the American Gambling Association’s (AGA) evolving Responsible Gaming Code of Conduct. Social accountability also helps foster responsible gaming by avoiding punitive approaches and reducing negative stigma.
The co-pilot feature is now live and available to all EDGE Boost users.
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Matt Holt Joins nVenue as Advisor and Board Observer

nVenue, the industry-leading B2B enterprise platform providing predictive data analytics for leagues, media, and gaming, announced the appointment of Matt Holt to the Company’s board. Holt brings over 15 years of experience in the sports and gaming industries and has been an instrumental figure in the development of U.S. sports betting.
“We are thrilled to welcome Matt to the nVenue team. His deep operational experience and extensive network of relationships in the sports and gaming industry will be invaluable as we continue to grow our business,” said Quinton Singleton, President & COO of nVenue.
Holt is founder and served as Chief Executive Officer for U.S. Integrity, where he led development of sports integrity for professional and collegiate sporting leagues across the US.
“I am excited to join nVenue at such a pivotal time in the company’s growth. nVenue is the industry-leading provider of live and micro market products, and their innovative technology is revolutionizing the way leagues and the global gaming industry pivot into the high growth sector of real-time engagement in sports. I look forward to working with the team to expand in the U.S. and international markets,” said Holt.
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