PENN Entertainment has continued the rollout of its standalone Hollywood Casino app by launching the platform in Michigan.
The company first announced the digital launch of the brand back in November.
While the app is an online branding extension of the Hollywood Casino retail locations, it is available to ESPN Bet customers using their ESPN Bet login either through that brand’s app or the new Hollywood Casino app. PENN says this eliminates a step for existing players and allows for a seamless experience across its online betting and casino platforms.
Hollywood Casino features more than 700 online casino games as well as a variety of daily promotions and jackpots. It offers a variety of online slots, table games and live dealer content, including bespoke live dealer tables and a dedicated “Casino Floor” lobby that allows users to find virtual versions of their favorite retail slots. It also features original titles from PENN Game Studios.
The Hollywood Casino brand is already well-known in Michigan, as PENN operates Hollywood Casino at Greektown in downtown Detroit. The app offers omnichannel integrations with the casino, including Greektown-branded live dealer blackjack tables and digital versions of slots titles available at the property.
The Greektown casino also hosts the first ESPN Bet retail sportsbook, which opened in April 2024.
Michigan launch follows Pennsylvania debut
Michigan is the second state to welcome the Hollywood Casino app after PENN debuted the brand in Pennsylvania in mid-December.
PENN CEO Jay Snowden had said in November that the online Hollywood Casino brand would launch in its first market in early 2025, so things are currently running ahead of schedule.
Snowden said that other launches would “follow pretty quickly” in other key iGaming markets and PENN reaffirmed that it plans to launch Hollywood Casino in additional jurisdictions this year, subject to regulatory approvals. New Jersey, West Virginia and the Canadian province of Ontario all have thriving regulating online casino markets.
PENN executives are expecting Hollywood Casino to be a useful contributor to their iGaming presence in North America. “We think that’s going to be a really nice shot in the arm for us in terms of continuing to grow our online casino business,” Snowden noted on November’s Q3 2024 earnings call.
Executives added that it will offer a strong cross-sell factor not only between land-based and online casino but also between iGaming and online sports betting.