Penn National Focuses On Front-End, Building National Sportsbook Product

• Penn National Gaming announced last week that they would be partnering with Kambi in order to build their sportsbook platforms.
• Kambi has several partnerships in the US including Parx Casino in Pennsylvania.
• A timeline for when Penn National will launch their new sportsbook platform remains undetermined.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Penn National Gaming’s focus on US sports betting has been more apparent now than ever. The company, which holds over a dozen properties in states that either have legalized sports wagering or are considering it, will now build a proprietary front-end for it’s forthcoming US sportsbooks.

The pledge comes only a week after Penn National announced a sportsbook platform partnership with Kambi, along with several other online sports betting operators.

“We are approaching the market in a bit of a different way than many of Kambi’s other partners,” said Scot McClintic, Penn’s head of sportsbook in an interview with EGR.

“We want to really own that front-end experience – that’s where we believe you can ultimately win share.”

Kambi, which holds several partnerships with US gaming facilities in the US, is most noted for its sportsbook operations in Parx Casino. Kambi powers both the retail sportsbook and the state-wide mobile sports betting app for Pennsylvania’s most profitable casino.

“We really appreciate how good they [Kambi] are at managed trading, so building around those managed trading capabilities presents quite a bit of opportunity,” said McClintic.

However, Penn National’s approach is not to try and adopt one of Kambi’s already made templates, but rather to build a new interface from scratch.

“I think you need to rethink what this product should look like. And not being totally different than what’s out there but being able to present this information in a more intuitive and simple way while also not alienating your hardcore bettor,” said McClintic.

Public perception around sports betting in the US has shifted since the repeal of PASPA in 2018. There have now been 17 states to legalize the practice and many more who have introduced legislation to legalize the activity earlier this year.

While some residents of those states have bet on sports before, many of them will be legally betting on sports for the first time.

“Everyone always talks about building a product for the casual bettor because that’s how you build a sustainable business, but has anyone done that yet?” said McClintic.

A timeline for when this new proprietary front-end sportsbook platform will be launched was not given by McClintic. But, he assured that Penn National has hired the right people and reaffirmed the company’s overall goal.

“Penn National has been around for a long time and we’re going to keep on being around. Our goal is to be a tier-one player in sports betting.”

News tags: Kambi | Parx Casino | Penn National Gaming | Pennsylvania | Scot McClintic