1979 stories by Steve Bittenbender
Virginia Lawmakers Reach Agreement on Casino, Sports Betting Bills Before Session Ends
Thanks to some last-minute votes by the state legislature this weekend, Virginia will soon be a state for lovers – of gaming. Lawmakers in the House of Delegates and the Senate came together on two bills that would dramatically expand legalized gaming...
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...
Stronach Group COO Tim Ritvo Leaves Racing Company to Pursue Other Opportunities
There’s been a shakeup over at The Stronach Group, which owns race tracks in California, Florida, and Maryland. On Monday, the company announced the sudden departure of COO Tim Ritvo, who left the company immediately. The company said in the release announcing...
Four Queens, Binions Back Up After Slots Outage, Other Systems Affected at Downtown Vegas Casinos
Six days after slots were taken down at two downtown Las Vegas casinos, service is apparently resuming. However, it’s still not quite business as usual for either the Four Queens Resort and Casino or Binion’s Gambling Hall, its sister property. The trouble...
Oregon Lottery Director Tells Board Profitability for Sports Betting Will ‘Take Time’ as Officials Seek to Improve Operations
The Oregon Lottery discussed the start of Scoreboard, the lottery’s sports betting application, during the Board of Commissioners meeting Friday morning. Officials said that a sportsbook – like any other startup – needs time to make money. Still, Lottery Director Barry Pack...
Decision 2020: Biden Wins in SC, Two Drop Out, But Sanders Still Favorite as Democratic Presidential Nominee
Joe Biden was the big winner over the weekend, as the former Vice President easily won the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary on Saturday. But was that win enough to turn the tide away from Vermont US Sen. Bernie Sanders ahead of...
