1979 stories by Steve Bittenbender
Iowa Sports Betting Bill Signed Into Law, Becomes 11th State to Legalize
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law on Monday afternoon that made the state the 11th in the country to legalize sports betting. The law, which will take effect on July 1, allows the state’s 22 casinos to establish retail...
Former Oklahoma Punter Sentenced in Bank Fraud Case to Pay Off Bookie Debts
A former University of Oklahoma football player was sentenced to more than two-and-a-half years in federal prison on Thursday for defrauding a bank and two of its customers of hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay off gambling debts. Blake Brian Ferguson...
Durant’s Calf Strain Leaves NBA Playoff Odds in Flux for Warriors
After tonight, the Golden State Warriors will either be one step closer to their fourth NBA title in five years or a step closer to an uncertain future. The Warriors, the league’s two-time defending champions, head to Houston for Game Six of...
New York Senator Remains Hopeful Mobile Sports Betting Becomes Reality in 2019
A New York state senator is holding out hope the state will be able to implement mobile sports betting sooner rather than later. Prior to Wednesday’s Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee’s meeting that focused on the topic in Albany, state Sen. Joe...
With Governor’s Signature Wednesday, Indiana Joins the Ranks of Sports Betting States
Indiana became the first Midwestern state to legalize sports betting when Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a bill into law Wednesday that dealt with it and other gambling issues. In a statement regarding House Bill 1015, Holcomb said the bill will help the...
Maximum Security to Skip Preakness, Owners’ Derby Appeal Denied
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Monday rejected an appeal by the owners of Maximum Security to overturn the stewards’ decision disqualifying their horse as the winner of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. After a chaotic 22 minutes following Saturday’s Derby, when stewards reviewed...
Kentucky Derby Once Again Breaks Betting Records for Churchill Downs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Churchill Downs produced yet another record-setting weekend as wagering on the Kentucky Derby card eclipsed a quarter-billion dollars for the first time. The total handle from Saturday’s 14-race card reached $250.9 million. Nearly two-thirds of that money was put...
OP-ED: In Making the Kentucky Derby Results Right, Horse Racing Still Gets It Wrong
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Kentucky Derby, known as the greatest two minutes in sports, became the most confusing 22 minutes in sports Saturday. In the end, the right decision was made but something still feels wrong about the entire process that led...
65-1 Country House Wins Kentucky Derby Thanks to Disqualification
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In a historic decision, 65-1 shot Country House won Kentucky Derby 145 Saturday after stewards at Churchill Downs disqualified apparent winner Maximum Security for interference. The ruling gave trainer Bill Mott his first Derby win and second Triple Crown...
Kentucky Derby 145: Sorting the Contenders from the Pretenders in the Run for the Roses
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Kentucky Derby isn’t your normal horse race. For starters, it brings up to 20 horses to the gate, more than double than what you see in most fields. Throwing that many horses – or 19 as are slated...
