1979 stories by Steve Bittenbender
Congressmen File Bill That Removes ‘Federal Barriers’ for Tribal Casinos to Launch Online Sports Betting
A bipartisan group of lawmakers filed a bill last week in Congress that would expand sports betting opportunities on tribal lands. H.R. 5502, sponsored by U.S. Rep Anthony Brindisi (D-New York), seeks “to remove Federal barriers” against online sports betting in tribal...
Rainy Forecast Prompts Santa Anita to Delay Start of Meet to Saturday
A rainy Christmas forecast has prompted Santa Anita officials to hold off on the start of the Winter/Spring meet at the Southern California track. The meet was scheduled to start Thursday. However, track officials over the weekend decided to push back the...
Monday Night Football: Bettors Like Underdog Packers Over Host Vikings
The Green Bay Packers head to rival Minnesota for a Monday Night Football matchup with playoff ramifications. The 11-3 Packers lead the NFC North by a game over the 10-4 Vikings, and with a win, they’ll secure the division title and greatly...
French Lick Casino Opens $17M Tower, Hopes to Lure More Golfers, Sports Bettors to Southern Indiana Resort
The French Lick Resort recently completed a $17 million addition that it hopes will attract sports fans and golfers to the historic Southern Indiana casino. The investment includes the opening of the Valley Tower, a six-story, 71-room hotel. It’s the third hotel...
Memphis Tigers See Their NCAA College Basketball Title Odds Lengthen With James Wiseman Leaving
The NCAA title chances for the Memphis Tigers took a huge hit this week. Freshman phenom James Wiseman announced he would forego the rest of this season and get ready for June’s NBA Draft, where he’s considered a likely choice to be...
Amateur Sports Betting Ban Could Be Part of Blumenthal Student-Athlete Bill
The topic of betting on college and other amateur sports made its way into a Washington, DC panel discussion this week. A consultant and former University of Texas athletics administrator mentioned that US Sen. Richard Blumenthal is working on a sports betting...
Los Angeles DA Task Force Finds No Criminal Evidence in Santa Anita Horse Deaths
Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced on Thursday that her office would not file any criminal charges in the wake of more than three dozen horse deaths that have occurred at Santa Anita Park in the past year. A task...
Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer Seeks Court Injunction to Overturn Racing Ban at Santa Anita
Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer will go to court on Christmas Eve and seek an injunction allowing him to run horses at Santa Anita Park when the Southern California track resumes horse racing on Dec. 26. The Stronach Group, owners of Santa Anita, banned...
Pennsylvania Sports Betting Surges as Handle Tops $300M in November
Sports betting in Pennsylvania continues its ascent, as the state’s sportsbooks took in nearly $316.5 million in wagers for November. An announcement Tuesday from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said it marked a 31 percent increase in activity from October. While the...
Genting Group Tabs Veteran Gaming Executive Bob DeSalvio to Lead New York Casinos
Global gaming giant Genting Group announced on Monday that veteran casino executive Bob DeSalvio will run the company’s operations in New York State. DeSalvio brings 41 years of experience to Genting and comes from overseeing the development and opening of Encore Boston...
