Jay Snowden, Penn Entertainment CEO, has confirmed the significance of the Canadian province of Alberta in the company’s digital strategy for 2026.
Penn reported its best ever quarter for online gaming, with revenues reaching $316.1m in Q2 2025, a significant increase from $232.6m in the same period in 2024. This underscores the company’s focus on enhancing its digital offerings, particularly through its ESPN BET venture.
Over the first half of 2025, interactive revenues totalled $606.2m, up from $440.3m the previous year.
The company faced impacts from severance costs at theScore, with $2.9m allocated for layoffs in June, affecting half of the editorial staff. Despite these challenges, Penn remains committed to innovation, introducing new features like Player Insights and FanCenter on ESPN BET.
Snowden highlighted the importance of Alberta’s upcoming iGaming market launch, anticipated in early 2026. Saying: “We know that Alberta is going to launch at some point, and we think early 2026 from what we have been told.”
Alberta’s open, regulated market represents a significant opportunity for Penn, aligning with its strategic growth objectives for North America. The recent acquisition by ESPN of NFL Network and other assets, including RedZone and NFL Fantasy, strengthens Penn’s position. Integration of these assets with ESPN BET provides a unique advantage, leveraging ESPN’s vast fantasy sports user base.
Aaron LaBerge, Penn’s CTO, believes that this partnership is a differentiator that no other sportsbook can offer.
While iGaming Ontario does not disclose individual operator financials, theScore holds a strong market presence in Ontario. With Alberta’s market on the horizon, Penn is poised to expand its footprint further. The company anticipates a share of 3.4% in the US online sports betting handle for Q3 and 4% for Q4, with iCasino share expected to reach 3% in Q3 and 3.2% in Q4.
Although the Alberta government is positively engaging with stakeholders, a specific launch date remains undetermined.
