1979 stories by Steve Bittenbender
Despite Injury Uncertainty, Tua Tagovailoa Leaves Alabama Early to Enter NFL Draft
Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa announced on Monday that he will forego his senior season and become eligible for this year’s NFL Draft. He makes the move to go pro despite suffering a hip dislocation in November that prematurely ended his time with...
DC Councilman Jack Evans, Who Shepherded Sports Betting Legislation, Steps Down Before Expulsion Hearing
Embattled District of Columbia Councilman Jack Evans announced his sudden resignation on Tuesday. The longest-serving member of Washington’s local governing body did so before his fellow Councilmembers could continue proceedings to expel him in the wake of a scathing report that cited...
Sports Betting Bills Pushed by Ohio Lawmakers Similar, But Still Feature Fundamental Differences
As Ohio State Legislature gets ready to reconvene in Columbus later this month, lawmakers are still considering two ways to legalize sports betting in the state. While both bills would allow retail sportsbooks at the state’s casinos and racinos and mobile sports...
Illinois Horsemen, Churchill Downs Inc. at Odds Over 2020 Purses at Arlington
Talks are set to resume later this week, perhaps as early as Wednesday, between officials from Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) and the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (ITHA) regarding purse sizes for the 2020 racing season at Arlington International Racecourse. The ongoing discussions...
NFC Preview: Minnesota, Seattle Underdogs Next Weekend in NFL Playoffs After Posting Road Wins Sunday
Road teams were kings in the NFL’s Wild Card playoff games Sunday. But by winning, both the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings will be on the road again next weekend. Those two squads already find themselves as underdogs as the playoffs advance...
AFC Preview: Houston, Tennessee Both Face Titanic Odds in NFL Divisional Playoff Games Next Weekend
For the first time in a decade, the AFC Divisional round of the NFL Playoffs won’t feature the New England Patriots. That’s just one of the ramifications from the Tennessee Titans upset victory Saturday night in Foxborough, Mass. The Titans win also...
NYRA Handle for 2019 Again Tops $2.1 Billion Despite Weather Forcing Fewer Races
The New York Racing Association (NYRA) reported a marginal drop in betting for 2019, with the dip attributable to fewer race days and races at its three tracks. The all-sources handle was $2.1 billion, just $8.3 million, or .4 percent, off of...
Churchill Downs Faces Federal Lawsuit After Union Claims Track Violated Collective Bargaining Agreement
A lawsuit was filed in a Kentucky federal court earlier this week claiming Churchill Downs breached a union labor deal by keeping temporary employees for longer than the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) allows. The Laborers’ International Union of North America, Local No....
British Gaming Companies Under Fire as Gambling Commission Investigates VIP Practices
The United Kingdom’s Gambling Commission is mulling whether it should ban “VIP” programs after a report indicates British gaming companies may use rewards to entice customers who are highly likely to become addicted. British newspaper The Guardian posted an article Thursday that...
Santa Anita Suffers Two Deaths in First Week of Meet; Opening Day Handle, Attendance Drop
Santa Anita will resume horse racing on Friday, but it entered 2020 under the same shadow that fell over the Southern California track all last year. On the last race of its New Year’s Day card, the track suffered its first racing...
