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Reporter: Steve Bittenbender

Steve Bittenbender covers Midwest and Gulport news for Casino.org. He also specializes in sports betting and horse racing. Steve is a veteran reporter and brings more than two decades of experience covering sports, business and politics. He joined Casino.org in 2019.

Steve has also covered major collegiate and professional sports for the Associated Press and the Louisville Courier-Journal and is frequently featured on local network TV newscasts and podcasts for his horse racing business and legislative expertise. A Reuters contributor, he has also previously served as editor for Government Security News.

Steve lives in Louisville, Kentucky -- the epicenter of the US horse racing industry -- with his wife and son. He is also an avid poker player, having learned from his uncle as a wholesome after-school pastime with cookies and milk.

Contact Steve at stevebittenbender@casino.org.

Areas of Expertise

1979 stories by Steve Bittenbender

DraftKings fined Iowa

Iowa Gaming Officials Fine DraftKings $5,000 for Violating Self-Exclusion List Regulations

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has fined DraftKings $5,000 for violating a regulation regarding the state’s self-exclusion list. IRGC Administrator Brian Ohorilko told Casino.org Thursday that the Boston-based sports technology and entertainment company failed to download the updated list within seven...

Steve Bittenbender October 22, 2020
Baffert Gamine

Gamine, Bob Baffert-Trained Filly, Reportedly Failed Drug Test After Kentucky Oaks

Gamine, a stakes-winning thoroughbred trained by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, reportedly tested positive for a banned substance after her third-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks. The New York Times reported the story Thursday evening, citing anonymous sources. If true, it...

Steve Bittenbender October 22, 2020
Santa Anita Election

After Fanless Meet Ends This Weekend, Santa Anita to Become Election Site for LA Voters

Santa Anita wraps up its fall racing meet this weekend. But the Southern California track won’t close down officially just yet. Starting next Thursday, the historic property will open its doors and become a voting center for the first time since the...

Steve Bittenbender October 22, 2020
Louisiana sports betting

As Louisiana Referendum Nears, Sports Betting Proponents Speak Out in Favor of Measure

The push to get sports betting legalized in Louisiana has taken a public turn in the last week. Newspapers, a key business organization, and state lawmakers have come out in support of the measure. Voters in all 64 of the state’s parishes...

Steve Bittenbender October 20, 2020
Illegal Chicago sports betting

Illinois Man, 85, Gets Three-Month Home Incarceration Sentence for Role in Illegal Chicago Sports Betting Operation

An 85-year-old man received a three-month home detention sentence Monday from a federal judge in Illinois, as well as a year of probation for his role in an illegal sportsbook in the Chicago area. The sentencing of Eugene "Geno" Del Giudice comes...

Steve Bittenbender October 19, 2020
Pine Bluff Arkansas Casino

Arkansas Officials Get Sneak Peak of Saracen Casino Before Tuesday’s Grand Opening

Officially, the Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, Ark., is set to hold its grand opening on Tuesday. However, state and community leaders got a sneak peek at the $350 million development on Thursday, when the Downstream Development Authority of the Quapaw...

Steve Bittenbender October 18, 2020
Crown Melbourne investigation

Crown Resorts Announces Money Laundering Investigation by Australian Authorities

Crown Resorts Limited announced Monday morning (Sunday night, ET) that Australian authorities are investigating the gaming company’s Melbourne casino for potential violations of money laundering and other laws. The Australian-based gaming company made the revelation in a statement to the Australian Securities...

Steve Bittenbender October 18, 2020
Vegas Loop

Elon Musk’s Vegas Loop Will Only Serve Fraction of Convention Center Traffic, Report Claims

A report released Friday casts some serious doubts about the capabilities of Elon Musk’s underground people mover currently under construction below the Las Vegas Convention Center. And that could end up costing Musk’s The Boring Company quite a bit of money. TechCrunch.com...

Steve Bittenbender October 17, 2020
New Jersey sports betting

New Jersey, Pennsylvania Set Handle Records, Analyst Says Garden State Supplants Nevada in Sports Betting

For the second straight month, sportsbooks in New Jersey and Pennsylvania posted record-breaking handles in September. That led at least one expert to believe we’ve reached the tipping point regarding Nevada’s claim on being the top state for sports betting. New Jersey...

Steve Bittenbender October 17, 2020
College football Alabama Georgia

College Football Saturday: Alabama Coach Saban Looks to Beat COVID and Georgia

Alabama and Georgia will battle Saturday night in a top 3 duel that will give the victor a leg up in both the SEC race and, more importantly, the College Football Playoff picture. Yet, the biggest story surrounding this game, like pretty...

Steve Bittenbender October 17, 2020