1979 stories by Steve Bittenbender
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear Allows Churchill Downs to Prepare for Racing Without Fans
Churchill Downs received approval on Wednesday from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear to open its backstretch to horsemen on May 11. That will mark the first day they can bring horses to the iconic Kentucky track and prepare them for the upcoming spring...
Kambi Reports First Quarter Revenue, Profits Up as Company Addresses COVID-19 Impact
Sports betting technology company Kambi Group announced on Friday that revenues for the first quarter of 2020 were up by 33 percent over last year's same time frame. That's even with the coronavirus wreaking havoc with the sports world in the final...
UFC 249 to Jacksonville, Fla., as Dana White Plans Three Cards in One Week
Roughly a week after UFC President Dana White announced that UFC 249 would take place on May 9, we’ve now learned that the event that’s seemingly in a never-ending state of flux will now take place in Florida. On Friday, White announced...
Churchill Downs Talks with Kentucky Officials to Resume Racing, Virtual Derby Planned
Saturday was supposed to be opening day at Churchill Downs. But like most sports venues across the country, the Louisville race track sat vacant because of the COVID-19 crisis. When horse racing can resume at the venerable Kentucky landmark remains to be...
Virginia Lawmakers OK Skill Games For COVID-19 Relief, But Some Fear ‘Wild West’ Atmosphere
Skill machines got a reprieve in Virginia, as the state legislature on Wednesday approved amendments by Gov. Ralph Northam to keep the games in the state for one more year to help raise funds for COVID-19 relief. The state Senate voted 32-8...
NFL Sets Las Vegas For 2022 Draft as 2020 Event Is Sportsbooks Boon
Thursday night was supposed to be Las Vegas’ night to shine. Unfortunately, COVID-19 took away the NFL Draft from the Vegas Strip. But during the football league’s teledraft, Commissioner Roger Goddell gave Sin City residents some good news. Goodell revealed that the...
MGM’s Bill Hornbuckle Says Casinos Will Look Different When They Reopen After Pandemic
MGM Resorts International’s new leader said in a video message to employees Tuesday to expect changes to how the Las Vegas-based company’s casinos will operate once they’re given the green light to open by state regulators. Acting CEO Bill Hornbuckle reminded the...
NFL Draft Offers Sports Fans a Betting Bonanza Starting Thursday, Except in Pennsylvania
Sports fans across the United States actually have something to look forward to Thursday on TV . No, it’s not a re-air of The Last Dance, instead, it’s the first round of NFL Draft. Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, the three-day event...
Las Vegas Mayor Goodman Tells CNN She Offered America’s Playground As America’s Petri Dish In Outbreak
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman grabbed the national spotlight Wednesday afternoon thanks to a combative interview conducted by CNN’s Anderson Cooper. In it, the 81-year-old Independent admitted she proposed turning Sin City into a “control group” to study the impact COVID-19 would...
Gov. Sisolak: Nevada Not Ready to Reopen Businesses Closed By Pandemic
While some governors have already announced plans to start reopening their states during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak doubled down on staying the course during a press briefing Tuesday evening. “We’re not at Phase One yet,” the Democratic leader said,...
