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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

Scientific Games Enters into Historical Horse Racing Gaming Segment with Churchill Downs Contract

Scientific Games is entering into a new market. On Tuesday, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) unanimously approved Churchill Downs Inc.’s (CDI) request to offer the Las Vegas-based gaming company’s historical horse racing (HHR) machines at its HHR parlors. The commission approved...

Steve Bittenbender February 20, 2020

AGA, AGEM Partner to Stop Spread of Unregulated Gaming Machines Across Country

On Tuesday, two gaming industry groups came together to announce a new partnership that seeks to curb the spread of unregulated gaming machines across the country. In a joint release, the American Gaming Association (AGA) and the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers...

Steve Bittenbender February 19, 2020

Tennessee Education Lottery Holds Off on Approving Sports Betting Regulations After Lawmakers Raise Concerns

Don’t expect Tennessee officials to pass sports betting regulations any time soon. Senate Speaker Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge), who also serves as the lieutenant governor, and House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) sent a letter to Susan Lanigan, chairwoman of the Tennessee Education...

Steve Bittenbender February 18, 2020

Churchill Downs Wants ‘Derby City Lite’ Historical Horse Racing Parlor for Turfway Park in Northern Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. – An official from Churchill Downs Inc.’s told members of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) on Tuesday that the company plans to build a historical horse racing (HHR) parlor in northern Kentucky. The parlor is necessary because planned renovations...

Steve Bittenbender February 18, 2020

Feds Say Massachusetts State Rep. David Nangle Dipped into Campaign Funds for Personal Use, Including Trips to Casinos

A prominent Massachusetts state lawmaker was arrested Tuesday and charged with using campaign funds to pay for personal expenses and for falsifying loan applications to pay for his gambling sprees. State Rep. David M. Nangle (D-Middlesex) entered a plea of not guilty...

Steve Bittenbender February 18, 2020

High-Profile Filly Taraz Suffers Fatal Injury During Workout at Oaklawn

In a sport that had more than its fair share of tragedies in the past 14 months, horse racing suffered yet another one on Monday when Taraz, a promising 3-year-old filly, was put down at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. According to Bloodhorse.com,...

Steve Bittenbender February 17, 2020

MGM Northfield Park Donates $10,000 to Fight Human Trafficking in Ohio

MGM Northfield Park announced on Monday that it will donate $10,000 to a local task force dedicated to stopping human trafficking in northeastern Ohio. The check to the Summit County Sheriff Division of Human Trafficking and Prostitution will help provide access to...

Steve Bittenbender February 17, 2020

Six Months In, In-Person Registration for Iowa Online Sports Betting Shows Mixed Results as Proponents Tout Success

Last week, the latest sportsbook announced it was coming to Iowa, although not anytime soon. A spokesman for Kindred Group said the company isn’t planning to launch its Unibet app in Iowa until next January, when the period of in-person registration for...

Steve Bittenbender February 17, 2020

Alabama Gov. Ivey Picks 12, Including Methodist Bishop, to Study Expanded Gaming

As expected, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has created a study group that will look at expanded gaming options for the state. In a statement announcing the executive order she signed to create the panel, Ivey noted there have been more than 180...

Steve Bittenbender February 16, 2020

NCAA Basketball Title Odds Show No Clear Favorite, Lots of Value a Month Before Selection Sunday

One month from Saturday is Selection Sunday, the day we’ll know who makes the field for the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament. And the one thing we know already is that this year’s Big Dance will be one of the most unpredictable...

Steve Bittenbender February 15, 2020