When ESPN announced that it was going to launch its own sportsbook, ESPN BET, it was almost a certainty that there would be a ripple effect on the organization. That ripple effect has, indeed, started with the recent announcement that ESPN’s flagship sports betting show is moving from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, back to ESPN corporate headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut.
The Daily Wager has been airing on ESPN networks since 2019 and was hosted by Doug Kezirian for most of that period. Though Kezirian was laid off recently as part of larger cuts at the network, the Daily Wager has seen its popularity grow significantly as regulated sports betting expands in the United States.
Since 2020, the Daily Wager has been broadcasting from the LINQ Hotel, which is owned by Caesars. That location wasn’t a problem until ESPN announced that it would be launching its own sportsbook, ESPN BET sometime this fall (possibly November) in conjunction with Penn Entertainment. Since it’s not likely that Caesars, who also happens to run a sportsbook, would want a competitor broadcasting from one of its properties, the Daily Wager was moved.
Along with the move from Vegas to Bristol, the show is also launching a new Saturday edition to coincide with the college football schedule.
Scott Clark, VP, Fantasy & Sports Betting Content commented on the move in a recent press release saying, “ESPN created some great content and incredible memories during our time at the Las Vegas studio. With our new ESPN BET deal set to launch this fall, we felt it was best to return to our headquarters. We cannot thank everyone we worked with at Caesars Entertainment over the past few years, and we wish them the best into the future.”
ESPN BET is due to launch sometime in November.