PENN Entertainment—the parent company of Barstool Sportsbook and theScore—announced a migration of its sports betting technology to a single in-house platform today. The project, months in the making, brings all of PENN’s brands under one roof.
Headlining the change is a redesigned Barstool Sportsbook app, available today for sports betting in Virginia and 15 other markets where Barstool Sportsbook is licensed to operate.
Barstool’s upgrade is part of PENN’s larger initiative to unite all of its technology, giving the company more control over its platforms. The migration was completed simultaneously across all 16 markets where Barstool Sportsbook is available.
“A technology migration of this scale requires an enormous amount of coordination and planning, and I’m extremely proud of our Interactive team who stepped up to the challenge to execute this complex project on time and with minimal disruption to customers,” said Benjie Levy, Head of Penn Interactive and President and COO, theScore. “Deploying our technology infrastructure puts our experienced in-house team, who built the platform from the ground up, in full control of the end-to-end customer journey and all product development. With this proven technology powering a significantly enhanced Barstool Sportsbook, we are primed to deliver a world class online sportsbook and casino experience to customers in the US.”
Barstool Sportsbook app offers better performance, more options
According to PENN, The Barstool Sportsbook update will happen automatically for most users. If you have automatic updates enabled on your mobile device, you should already have the redesigned app on your phone. If not, you can always head to your app marketplace to download the latest version. Barstool assured users via email that balances and accounts would remain 100% secure as part of the upgrade.
New users can simply download the Barstool Sportsbook VA app from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store. Bettors who haven’t previously signed up get the added benefit of Barstool Sportsbook’s welcome bonus: A 100% deposit match of up to $1,000.
The improvements to Barstool Sportsbook are plentiful. Here are a few highlights.
Faster speeds, shorter load times
Barstool Sportsbook is faster now, and that applies to pretty much every aspect of the experience. The company advertised this in their announcement press release, but I witnessed the upgrade firsthand. Load times have been significantly shortened, and navigating the app feels lightning-fast. Tapping any given menu option loads the next page near-instantly, and there wasn’t a load time in sight. This is especially promising when paired with the next big improvement.
The speed also applies to deposits. I funded my account with PayPal, and the entire process took mere seconds.
More to bet on
Barstool Sportsbook says there will be new markets and wagering options, with particular focus on in-game betting and player props. Right now, it’s hard to see the full scope of these changes considering we’re in a relatively slow period for sports. When the NFL and NBA seasons return, we’ll have a better grasp on the additions to Barstool’s betting portfolio.
Barstool exclusives
The top menu has a dedicated “Barstool” button with the company’s famous logo. Tapping it brought me to the “Barstool Exclusives” section, where an MLB bet was waiting for me. The wager on Friday, July 14, was for the NY Yankees, Houston Astros, and the Seattle Mariners each to hit a home run, with odds of +190.
PENN says there will be a much more robust Barstool Exclusives section with the new upgrade especially as we approach sports-heavy seasons like autumn (NFL kickoff, anyone?).
Knowing theScore
theScore is also part of PENN Entertainment, and Barstool has new cross-over with theScore media app. You can log into theScore with your Barstool sportsbook credentials—no need to create separate accounts. Once you do that, you can also build bets and track your wagers within theScore app. You still need to visit Barstool Sportsbook’s app to actually submit your wagers.
theScore media app is also available in the iOS App Store or Google Play, or on desktop browsers.