ESPN is renowned in the states for its excellent live sports coverage, and in 2023, the company branched out into the betting space with the launch of ESPN Bet.
With such prestige in the sports space, you might be wondering how good ESPN Bet is compared to the best betting sites in the US, such as Caesars and DraftKings.
In this review, I will see just how good ESPN Bet really is, testing all of its features out for myself to see how the platform stacks up to competitors.
We use a points-based system, to calculate an objective, overall star-based rating. For more information on how we rate view here.
Is ESPN BET any good? Quick video answer
Overall rating – 4.5 stars
Overall, I give ESPN Bet a rating of 4.5 stars based on an average of 82.7% and an overall score of 74.4.
ESPN Bet is a brilliant betting site with an attractive mobile app, great live betting, and solid customer support.
However, it’s limited by a small pool of markets and average coverage of the niche sports it does cover.
Here’s a breakdown of how ESPN Bet performed:
Category | Points | Star rating |
|---|---|---|
Safety | 9.3 | 5 stars |
Mobile betting site | 8.4 | 4.5 stars |
Web betting site | 7.2 | 4 stars |
Deposits and Withdrawals | 8.8 | 4.5 stars |
Markets | 6.6 | 3.5 stars |
Pre-Match Betting | 7.8 | 4 stars |
In-Play Betting | 8.9 | 4.5 stars |
Welcome Incentive | 8.9 | 4.5 stars |
Customer Support | 8.5 | 4.5 stars |
Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of ESPN Bet:
Pros
Great mobile app
Live betting experience is near-perfect
Solid customer support
Cons
Limited range of markets
Coverage of the niche sports on offer is limited
No crypto payments
Safety – 5 stars
ESPN is a household name in the US, with a record for safety and security.
This prestige has carried over to ESPN Bet, which is as safe as a betting site gets.
Licenses
ESPN Bet has the legal right to operate in the following states:
Arizona
Colorado
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
New Jersey
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Virginia
West Virginia
If you live in one of these states, then you can comfortably use ESPN Bet, safe in the knowledge that it has the legal right to operate.
If, on the other hand, you don’t live in one of the listed states, ESPN Bet will not be available to you.
However, the site only launched last year, and already holds licenses in over a dozen states. So as it continues to grow, the company will likely obtain licenses in other major states.
It is, for instance, currently in the process of getting a license to operate in New York.
Security
ESPN Bet is also robust from a security standpoint, using high-quality tech like SSL certificates to protect your data from online fraudsters.
The site also allows users to enable two-factor authentication, for that little bit of added security.
Track record
ESPN Bet may not even be a year old, but its parent company, ESPN, has been around since 1992.
Over the following decades, ESPN has only accumulated a great reputation and track record, never being the subject of a hack, major legal scandal, or data breach.
With all of this in mind, you can use ESPN Bet safe in the knowledge that it’s an entirely safe and legal platform.
Pros
Holds over a dozen gambling licenses
Uses top-notch security tech
Great track record
Cons
None
Mobile betting app – 4.5 stars
ESPN Bet has been built to be a mobile betting site, and as such, a lot of effort has gone into making the mobile betting app as user-friendly as possible.
This has paid off entirely, and the app is easy to navigate and use in an everyday setting. However, the design is far from revolutionary.
.png)
Look and feel
ESPN Bet’s mobile app uses a crisp and clean design, opting for simplicity over anything flashy. The use of white, gray, and blue does give the app a professional look, but it is a little bit bland.
Swapping out the gray boxes for something more colorful, for instance, would go a long way to making the design pop more.
Aside from the vanilla design, however, the mobile betting app looks sublime. Fonts are a good size and reach a nice blend of readability and compactness.
The menus are all very straightforward to understand, and betting pages aren’t full of rows of confusing and irrelevant information.
.png)
The navigation tabs are also excellent and help to break down markets like the NHL into constituent games and bet types. There’s also a search function to help you find anything you may be looking for.
Making a bet
To place a bet through ESPN Bet’s mobile app, follow these simple steps:
Download the mobile app and log in to your account
Navigate through the menus to find the event that you’d like to place a bet on. Alternatively, you can use the search bar
Once you’ve found the right event, pick your desired wager by pressing on the odds box
A bet slip will appear. Fill out the amount you’d like to wager
Confirm by pressing ‘Place Bet’
.png)
User experience
Overall, my experience with ESPN Bet’s mobile app was very positive.
Firstly, the app is user-friendly and very easy to navigate. Even when using it for the first time, the app felt familiar, and getting to know all of its features was an easy process.
The search bar was also one of the best I’ve used, and took me exactly where I wanted to go, every time.
The company has done a really good job at making beats simple to make. I particularly liked the bet slip, which only appears at the bottom of your screen, so you can still see different odds before you confirm a bet.
The bet slip also shows you exactly how much you stand to win, which is of course an invaluable feature.
Honestly, the only change I would like to see is a bit more color in the design.
That being said, when you click on a bet box, it does get a blue highlight, which makes navigation even easier and gives a little color to the design.
Check out our roundup of the best sports betting apps in the US to see how ESPN Bet compares.
Pros
Simple to use and navigate
Great search function and menus
Making a bet is easy
Cons
Design is a little bland
Website – 4 stars
ESPN Bet’s website is largely a carbon copy of the mobile app.
However, because the platform is designed for mobile use, the website does feel like somewhat of an afterthought.
Look and feel
The website looks and feels pretty much the same as the mobile app, just on a bigger screen.
The only notable change is that the bet slip is pinned to the right-hand side of the screen, rather than being a pop-up menu, as it is on the app.
User experience
My experience with ESPN Bet’s website was good, but I wasn’t blown away by any of its features.
One of the app’s biggest downsides is that it just doesn’t make the best use of the available space. There are just massive chunks of blank space in between each menu, which makes the website look unfinished.
Of course, simplicity is important, but the website takes this a bit too far in my view.
On the plus side, the website is just as good as the mobile app from a functional perspective.
The menus are easy to navigate, the search bar is just as good, and making a bet couldn’t be any easier.
Overall, ESPN Bet’s website isn’t necessarily bad. It’s just not great.
Pros
Feels like an extension of the mobile app
Good navigation
Cons
Overall a little underwhelming
Deposits and withdrawals – 4.5 stars
ESPN Bet’s range of deposit and withdrawal methods is near perfect.
The only addition I missed was a form of crypto payment.
Deposits
You’re not going to be short of deposit options should you decide to use ESPN Bet.
The company offers all of the following deposit methods:
Bank card
Bank wire
eCheck
Skrill
Paypal
The processing time for all of these methods is instant, allowing you to get your account up and funded in a matter of seconds. Every method is also free and comes with a relatively low minimum deposit of just $10.
However, ESPN Bet does not currently offer a crypto payment option. This does somewhat limit the available deposit methods, considering that more and more people are using cryptocurrencies for everyday transactions.
Making a deposit
To deposit to your ESPN Bet account, follow these steps:
Log in to your account and head to your account page by clicking on your profile icon in the top-right-hand corner
You should be taken to a menu with various account options. One of them is a ‘deposit’ option. Click this icon
You will be taken to a new deposit screen, where you can choose the amount you’d like to deposit, and your desired method
Fill out the required details and hit confirm
Withdrawals
Withdrawals follow the same structure as deposits, in the sense that they are free to make and come with a minimum withdrawal amount of $10. Withdrawals will generally be made to your usual payment method, but this can be changed.
Depending on the withdrawal method you use, any withdrawals should land in your account within one to five working days.
Making a withdrawal
To make a withdrawal, follow these steps:
Go to your account menu by clicking on your profile picture
Click on the withdrawals icon
Choose how much you’d like to withdraw and confirm the withdrawal method
Hit confirm and the transaction will begin processing
Pros
Plenty of deposit and withdrawal methods are available
Easy to deposit and withdraw funds
Free to deposit and withdraw
Cons
No crypto payment options
Markets – 3.5 stars
ESPN Bet does a great job at covering popular sports markets such as the NHL and UFC.
However, its coverage of niche and international markets is far less impressive.
Markets available
Here is a list of all markets available through ESPN Bet:
Baseball
Basketball
Beach Volleyball
Boxing
Cricket
CS:GO
Cycling
Football
Golf
Hockey
Lacrosse
League of Legends
Motor Sports
MMA (UFC)
Soccer
Table Tennis
TV & Culture
Volleyball
Winter Sports
Tennis
Review
As you can see, ESPN Bet does a very good job of covering the most popular markets in the US. You’ll be able to place bets on every game in the big four leagues (NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA).
Other popular sports, such as MMA, boxing, and even various eSports are also available.
However, the number of sports offered by ESPN Bet is a lot worse than virtually all of its competition.
Sites like BetRivers offer dozens more sports, from popular options like rugby to niche events like Aussie Rules.
If you just want to place a bet on the next NHL game, or big boxing event, this isn’t going to be an issue.
If, however, you are a fan of these niche markets, ESPN Bet is going to be largely useless to you.
Pros
Great coverage of popular markets
eSports covered
Cons
Niche/international markets are poorly covered
Lack of markets compared to other sites
Pre-match betting – 4 stars
ESPN Bet provides great pre-match betting to its most popular sports.
However, niche sports are largely forgotten about.
Coverage
ESPN Bet does a great job at covering the major leagues in the pre-match stage.
For these markets, the betting options are neatly divided between straight bets (money line, etc), futures, and parlays.
For these events, you really won’t find a wider range of pre-match bets from another site. The pre-match betting for its less popular markets, is, however, much less extensive.
ESPN Bet goes the extra mile before games by offering expert picks and relevant news articles.
However, this pre-match coverage is largely limited to the big four leagues, and once again, any fan of niche sports is going to feel largely neglected by ESPN Bet.
Parlay+
One of my favorite pre-match betting options was the Parlay+ feature.
This allows you to create same-game parlays to massively improve your potential payout and is something that a surprising number of platforms fail to offer.
Pros
Great coverage of major leagues
News feed and expert picks
Cons
Coverage of niche sports isn’t as good
In-play betting – 4.5 stars
ESPN Bet’s live betting experience is near-perfect, thanks to a wide range of betting options available and other amenities like the live streaming service.
Markets
On the whole, ESPN Bet has an excellent range of live markets. Virtually all of the sports it offers are covered live, and the more popular games are covered extensively.
You’ll be able to place a live bet on literally anything you could think of, from the winner of the next point to the halftime score.
There’s also an early cash-out feature if you think that your bet is going to go south.
The only drawback here is that, as with pre-match betting, coverage of niche sports could use improvement.
Live features
Aside from the range of markets, ESPN Bet offers a wide range of live features to make each live game even more enjoyable.
These include:
Quick Bets: Quick bets allow you to place a live bet extremely quickly by getting rid of any unnecessary navigation. This makes the live betting experience seamless
Shareable Bet Slips: You can also share your bet slips to social media platforms during a live game so you can see what others are doing and show off your predictions
Live Streaming Service: And perhaps most impressive is ESPN Bet’s live streaming service. Because ESPN has the rights over so many events, you’ll be able to watch dozens of matches from the comfort of the ESPN Bet mobile app or website. Coverage does vary from state to state
Pros
Great selection of live markets
Unmatched live streaming service
Other amenities like quick bets
Cons
Niche markets could do with better live coverage
Welcome incentive – 4.5 stars
ESPN Bet is currently offering not one, but two different bonuses to new clients in 2024.
Both of these bonuses are extremely attractive, and regular one-time promotions mean you can benefit further down the line.
2024 incentive
Right now, ESPN Bet is offering a total of two bonus offers to new users.
Welcome Incentive #1
The first welcome bonus is a free bet boost of $100, given to you through 5 x $20 installments.
It’s important to remember that the offer will give you bet credits, which cannot be withdrawn and can only be used to make wagers.
To redeem this offer, follow these simple steps:
Create a new account and wait for verification
Wager any amount on any bet
The bet credits will hit your account within 72 hours
Welcome Bonus #2
If you’d prefer even more free credits, ESPN Bet is also offering a $1,000 first deposit match. Essentially, when your first deposit is over $10, ESPN Bet will credit match that deposit with bet credits, up to the amount of $1,000.
This offer is perfect for more experienced bettors with a larger budget.
To redeem this offer, follow these steps:
Create an account and wait for verification
Make sure your first deposit is at least $10
ESPN Bet will match your deposit with bet credits
Comparative offers
Few competitors are offering anything nearly as good as ESPEN Bet right now, which makes the offer all the more attractive.
Admittedly, some competitors, such as bet365 are offering $150 in bonus bets, which is stronger than ESPN Bet’s $100.
However, the real attractiveness of ESPN Bet’s welcome offer is in the deposit match scheme. At best, this allows you to get $1,000 of free money and is something that literally no other betting site can match.
Other promotions
Aside from the welcome bonus, you’ll be happy to hear that ESPN Bet is always running some kind of promotion, be it a parlay boost or a limited-time deposit bonus.
The only feature that ESPN Bet doesn’t offer is a referral scheme. However, the platform is very new, so there’s a good chance it will offer this in the future.
Pros
Total of two welcome bonuses are on offer
Both incentives are very attractive
Cons
No referral scheme
Customer service – 4.5 stars
ESPN Bet has a great customer assistance service, with features like a 24/7 live chat.
However, I wasn’t a fan of the call-back feature.
Live chat
The easiest way to reach out to a customer service assistant is through ESPN Bet’s live chat service. This is available 24/7, and from my experience, the wait times are very short.
Every team member is also very helpful, and happy to help no matter how complex your issue is.
Telephone
ESPN Bet does offer phone support. However, to access it, you need to fill out an email form for a callback. Because this is a pretty convoluted process, actually getting a phone call back can be a bit of a headache.
Nevertheless, few US sportsbooks even offer phone support in the first place. Plus, with the call-back service, you at least won’t have to sit in a queue for hours to get through to an assistant.
Finally, you can reach out to the customer support team through email, or a social media DM.
My experience has shown that emails are responded to very quickly, and come packed with information relevant to your query.
Often, the email will also come with additional links to FAQ articles, to help solidify your understanding further.
Therefore, on the whole, ESPN Bet’s customer service is excellent, and should you run into an issue, you’ll be able to get it fixed in no time.
Pros
24/7 live chat
Great email support
Phone support available
Cons
The callback feature can be a headache
Final thoughts
Ultimately, ESPEN Bet is one of the best US betting sites to use if you’re specifically looking to bet on major US markets, thanks to its excellent coverage, strong mobile app, and great live betting.
If, however, you’re looking to bet on niche sports or mainly international markets, I wouldn’t recommend ESPEN Bet, as its coverage of these markets is very limited.
