Barstool Helping Michigan Businesses with Sportsbook Launch

When new players in Michigan make their first-time deposits with the Barstool Sportsbook this weekend, they will be directly assisting small businesses in Michigan.

Penn National announced it is partnering with Barstool Sports to support Michigan small businesses impacted by COVID-19. From noon on Friday until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Michigan residents will have their first deposit on the Barstool Sportsbook mobile app matched with a donation to the Barstool Fund, according to a news release. The only requirement is the player must wager equal or more than their first-time deposit during the weekend.

“We’re proud to be able to support those small businesses impacted by COVID-19 as part of our opening plans,” Jay Snowden, president and CEO of Penn National Gaming, said in the release. “I also want to thank the Michigan Gaming Control board and its staff for their time and effort in reviewing and approving our applications. In addition, I want to thank our team at Penn Interactive, our great partners at Barstool Sports, and our risk management and platform providers, Kambi and White Hat Gaming, for their many months of hard work and collaboration.

"We’re off to a fast start in 2024 and look forward to continuing our Company’s evolution into the leading omnichannel provider of retail and online gaming, live racing and sports betting entertainment.”

Barstool is one of 10 platform providers set to go live when Michigan officially launches its online sports betting and mobile casino gaming platforms at noon on Friday. At noon, Barstool will launch its sports betting app, and in a media release, stated it hopes its online casino products “will follow shortly thereafter, subject to final regulatory approvals.”

“This is an exciting time to be launching our online Barstool Sportsbook in Michigan,” Snowden said. “We have been incredibly pleased with the success of the mobile app since launching in Pennsylvania in September. Our customers have thoroughly enjoyed engaging with Dave Portnoy, Dan ‘Big Cat’ Katz and other Barstool fan favorites, and we expect more of the same in Michigan. As the only gaming operator with a fully integrated sports media and entertainment partner, Penn can provide our customers the opportunity to interact with Barstool personalities online and also in-person at our new Barstool Sportsbook at Greektown.”

More on Penn Gaming and Barstool Sports

Penn gaming features 41 properties across 19 states, including 50,000 gaming machines, 1,300 table games and 8,800 hotel rooms under well-known brands such as Hollywood, Ameristar and L’Auberge. The company recently opened its retail Barstool Sportsbook at Greektown Casino Hotel in downtown Detroit on Dec. 23, 2023.

Barstool Sports is a digital sports, entertainment and media platform that produces content across blogs, podcasts, radio, video and social media. In 2019, Barstool Sports grew by nearly 65%, recording nearly $100 million in revenue from digital and audio advertising, e-commerce, events, licensing and subscription.