Scenes from Rudy hype sportsbook launch

With its application for online sports wagering approved by the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC), Penn National Gaming’s Barstool Sportsbook will shortly go live on mobile and online platforms in the sports-mad state.

Barstool Sportsbook shared news of the May 18 launch date on Twitter. In a video, the brand superimposed key personalities over scenes from the hit 1993 college football movie Rudy, which centered on Indiana’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish:

The Barstool video made use of the all-time great football movie filmed at the University of Notre Dame to up the Indiana launch ante.

According to a Penn National press release, the Wyomissing, Pennsylvania-based casino operator will launch its Barstool app in Indiana with a variety of promotional bets. These include “risk-free bets, parlay insurance, and an array of wagering options related to the upcoming NBA Playoffs and Indianapolis 500.”

The Tuesday 10am go-live launch of the Barstool app in Indiana is subject to the usual pending and final regulatory approvals.

Penn National growing online wagering market

In addition to football and racing, Indiana has a proud basketball pedigree. In the press release announcing the Barstool app launch, Penn National president and CEO Jay Snowden said his firm was “thrilled to be launching […] at the start of the NBA’s new playoff format.”

fourth online sports betting market in the US, alongside Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania

When the Barstool sportsbook app goes live, Indiana will give Penn National its fourth online sports betting market in the US, alongside Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

According to the Penn National press statement, Barstool retail sportsbooks in Indiana’s Ameristar Casino Hotel East Chicago and Hollywood Casino & Hotel Lawrenceburg have been “very well received” since opening their doors in December.

Extra weapon in Penn’s sports betting locker

The imminent launch of the Barstool online app in Indiana gives Penn National potentially broader reach and lucrative access to a large and knowledgeable fan base via Barstool’s interactive digital platform.

A soundbite that CEO Snowden likes to repeat with online sports betting launches – and one he echoed in Friday’s press release – is that Penn National is “the only gaming operator with a fully integrated sports media and entertainment partner.”

another important step in our Company’s evolution into the leading omni-channel gaming provider”

Snowden’s call to action that “now Hoosiers from across the state will be able to engage with Dave Portnoy, Dan ‘Big Cat’ Katz, and all of the Barstool personalities” reflects the potential fan engagement impact in Indiana. Looking beyond Indiana, Snowden said the latest launch “was another important step in our Company’s evolution into the leading omni-channel gaming provider.”