Barstool Sports Founder Dave Portnoy Explains Breakup With Penn: ‘We Got Denied’ Gambling Licenses ‘Because of Me’

variety.com:

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Dave Portnoy, now 100% owner of Barstool Sports after former parent Penn Entertainment sold it back to him — concurrent with Penn’s major 10-year sports-betting deal with ESPN — has admitted that Barstool isn’t a good fit in the gambling industry. “[W]e underestimated just how tough it is for myself and Barstool to operate in a regulated world, where gambling regulators, the New York Times [and] Business Insider hit pieces, fucking with the stock price every time did something,” Portnoy said in an “emergency press conference” video posted on X (aka Twitter) Tuesday. “We got denied [gambling] licenses because of me, you name it,” Portnoy said. “So the regulated industry probably not the best place for Barstool Sports and the type of content we make.” Now that Barstool is no longer part of Penn, Portnoy said, “For the first time in forever, we don’t have to watch what we say, how we talk, what we do.

It’s back to the pirate ship.” In November 2021, an article published by Insider cited three women who said they had sex with Portnoy and that the encounters “turned into frightening and humiliating experiences that have taken a toll on their mental health.” Portnoy sued Insider in February 2022 over that piece and a follow-up story, alleging defamation and invasion of privacy; the lawsuit was dismissed in November, with a federal district court judge ruling Portnoy had not provided enough evidence that Insider acted with “actual malice” or a reckless disregard for the truth.