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Sports BettingOctober 18, 2026·1 min read
Award-Winning Filmmaker Quits ESPN Over Gambling Concerns
Nicole Noren, an award-winning filmmaker and journalist, left ESPN in 2023 after over two decades with the company due to its embrace of sports betting. Noren's departure followed the launch of ESPN Bet with Penn Entertainment. Noren's family has a history of problem gambling, including the death of her brother due to sports gambling addiction.
Noren mentioned that her story ideas about the pitfalls of gambling were rejected by ESPN. She attempted to raise concerns about how the business interests of the company were overshadowing the network’s reporting. However, she said the reaction among management was “almost like putting their heads in the sand.”
ESPN Bet was shut down in 2025 after failing to gain market share. ESPN later signed a deal with DraftKings after shutting down ESPN Bet. ESPN denied Noren's allegations, stating that business decisions do not affect their journalism.
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