1979 stories by Steve Bittenbender
Title Bout Controversy Causes Promoter Bob Arum to Say His Fights May Leave Las Vegas
Boxing promoter Bob Arum may have had his fill of Las Vegas. On Saturday night, the founder and CEO of Top Rank Boxing sounded off when the Nevada State Athletic Commission, after a protracted review of a title fight, ruled controversially it...
World Series of Poker Announces Hybrid Format for 2020 Main Event
The World Series of Poker Main Event will take place in 2020. But like most major events this year, COVID-19 is forcing organizers to make some major changes. For starters, there will be two tournaments, one American and one International. Both will...
Illinois Sports Betting Generates $305M Handle for September, Becomes Top Four State for Wagering
Illinois sports betting made its presence known in a hurry. On Friday, the state’s gaming board released its wagering totals for September, and bettors there generated a handle of $305.2 million. That establishes the Land of Lincoln as the fourth- biggest sports...
Paul Hornung, Football’s ‘Golden Boy’ Once Suspended for Gambling, Dies at 84
Paul Hornung, the Golden Boy of 1950s and '60s American football who was forced to sit out a year in his prime because of gambling, died Friday in his hometown of Louisville, Ky., at the age of 84. A statement from the...
Basketball Great May Soon Hit the SHAQPOT with Planned Sports Betting Application
Basketball star Shaquille O’Neal is considering a foray into sports betting, according to documents filed last month with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). ABG-SHAQ LLC filed a request to trademark the phrase “SHAQPOT” on Oct. 22. ABG-SHAQ is a company...
Ohio Track Cancels Horse Racing Meet for Two Weeks After Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19
Live horse racing has gone dark at Mahoning Valley Race Course in Youngstown, Ohio, after track representatives learned of a positive COVID-19 test case. The closure took effect Tuesday afternoon a little more than an hour before post time at the track....
Hard Rock Seeks 200 Dealers for Northern Indiana Casino Jobs at Hiring Events
As construction continues on Hard Rock Northern Indiana in Gary, Ind., work is underway to find employees who will staff the $300 million land-based casino. That includes blackjack dealers and others to staff table games. Next week, the casino will hold two...
Nevada Gov. Sisolak Strongly Urges Residents to Stay Home, But Casino Visitors Still Welcome
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak on Tuesday unveiled his “Stay at Home 2.0” plan to contain the COVID-19 pandemic that’s spread rapidly across the state in recent weeks. In a televised briefing, he urged Nevadans to stay home as much as possible over...
DraftKings Disputes Claims in $3M Parlay, Expert Says Bad Look for US Sports Betting
The US sports betting industry, just 30 months removed from the US Supreme Court’s landmark ruling that opened the door to expansion, may have its first major controversy in the post-PASPA era. That's thanks to last week’s blockbuster report that a bettor...
California Candidate Leads Lodi City Council Race Despite Money Laundering, Illegal Gaming Arrest
The leading candidate in last week's election for a city council seat in Lodi, Calif. was arrested late last month after being accused of laundering money and running an illegal gaming operation. According to the Sacramento Bee, sheriff’s officers in San Joaquin...
