1979 stories by Steve Bittenbender
Coronavirus Pandemic Ushers In ‘Unprecedented’ Time as US Sportsbooks Adjust To No Leagues
This weekend should have been some of the best days on the sports betting calendar. Friday would have seen most of the major college basketball conferences hold their tournament semifinals, with the possibility of Duke-Florida State and Louisville-Virginia matchups in the ACC...
Coronavirus Concerns Prompt NCAA to Ban Fans from March Madness Tournament, NBA Suspends Season After Player Tests Positive
The US sporting world Wednesday was thrown into the chaos, as fears grew about coronavirus spreading led to numerous announcements and reports. It prompted the NCAA to announced that the association’s upcoming championship events – including the men’s and women’s Division I...
Kentucky Sports Betting Bill Sponsor Remains Optimistic as It Awaits Floor Vote
The Kentucky state House of Representatives passed a nearly $24 billion budget plan last week. While that spending proposal did not include potential revenues from sports betting, the lawmaker leading the charge to legalize the activity isn’t deterred. State Rep. Adam Koenig...
Maximum Security Trainer Jason Servis Among 27 Facing Federal Charges in Horse Racing Doping Scheme
Trainer Jason Servis faces up to five years in federal prison, as he’s one of 27 individuals charged in a scheme to administer illegal performance-enhancing drugs to several racehorses. That includes Maximum Security, a winner of multiple graded stakes races, who ended...
Kentucky Derby Futures Bettors Believe in Baffert-Trained Authentic After Winning San Felipe Saturday
With Saturday’s three Kentucky Derby preps now behind us, it appears Tiz the Law now has a competitor to be the favorite when the horses gather in Louisville on May 2. And his name is Authentic. The Bob Baffert-trained colt cruised to...
Chicago-Area Rivers Des Plaines Casino to Launch Sports Betting in Illinois on Monday
On Monday, Illinois will become the 15th state in the US to allow sports betting when a suburban Chicago casino opens its sportsbook. The BetRivers Sportsbook will open Monday at noon CT at the Rivers Des Plaines Casino. The Illinois Gaming Board...
Road to Kentucky Derby 2020 Makes Stops at Tampa Bay Downs, Aqueduct and Santa Anita on Saturday
We’re now less than two months away from the Kentucky Derby, and Saturday serves as a big day in deciding the field, as three more horses will likely earn their way into the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. The winners...
Nebraska Judge Blocks Fonner Park from Offering Historical Horse Racing Machines to Patrons
Work has stopped – for now – on bringing historical horse racing (HHR) to Nebraska, after a judge issued a restraining order keeping a race track from installing the machines. The ruling last week is the latest turn in a matter that’s...
PointsBet Cleared For Indiana Mobile Sports Betting, Soft Launch Expected Thursday
PointsBet will launch in its third state on Thursday, when the Australian-based sportsbook goes live with its mobile betting application in Indiana. The Indiana Gaming Commission on Wednesday announced that it gave PointsBet clearance to start taking bets as soon as Thursday....
England Football Association Bans Daniel Sturridge Through Mid-June for Breaking Gambling Rules
An appeals board in England Monday agreed with the Football Association (FA) that penalties levied against former Liverpool star Daniel Sturridge for providing inside information for the purposes of gambling were too lenient. As a result, the 30-year-old forward will miss the...
