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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

1982 stories by Steve Bittenbender

Welcome to Colorado sign

Colorado Sports Betting Nets $11.4M for Water Plan, Changes Coming to Raise More Money

Sports betting in Colorado generated $11.4 million in tax revenue over the last fiscal year that will be used to help fund the state’s Water Plan. That’s according to a release by the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission (CLGCC). The Water Plan...

Steve Bittenbender September 18, 2022
Ellis Park

Churchill Downs to Buy Ellis Park for $79M, Will Invest $75M in Kentucky Track

Churchill Downs Incorporated’s (CDI) buying spree continues. This time, they’re staying in Kentucky. On Thursday, the Louisville-based gaming company announced it will acquire Henderson racetrack Ellis Park from Laguna Development Corp. (LDC) for $79 million. The deal is contingent on the Kentucky...

Steve Bittenbender September 15, 2022

California Sports Betting: Poll Finds 54 Percent Reject Prop 27 Online Measure

An independent poll released late Wednesday evening (PT) shows California’s likely voters oppose a measure to legalize online sports betting by a rather substantial margin. Earlier this month, the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) included Proposition 27 in a survey of...

Steve Bittenbender September 15, 2022
Cali sign

California Sports Betting: Who Funds the Groups Behind the $400M Battle?

The stakes continue to rise in the political battle to control sports betting in California. The four committees established to either support or oppose the two constitutional amendments have now raised more than $400 million between them. And come 55 days from...

Steve Bittenbender September 14, 2022
Caesars truck

Caesars Plans Sportsbook Truck Tour as Digital Marketing Efforts Shift Gears

Caesars Entertainment on Wednesday announced a nationwide tour featuring not a chariot, but a customized 18-wheeler. The truck will promote the Las Vegas company’s online sports wagering app at 17 scheduled stops through the upcoming Super Bowl. The tour will kick off...

Steve Bittenbender September 14, 2022
Political signs

PredictIt to Seek Injunction Against Ending Political Exchange in Feb. 2023

PredictIt plans to file a motion in US federal court that would seek to stop a regulator’s decision to require the politically focused futures trade exchange to liquidate all of its markets by Feb. 15, 2023. That move comes on the heels...

Steve Bittenbender September 14, 2022
Flightline

Del Mar Summer Meet Sets Records, Track COO Wants Sportsbook to Boost Racing

Del Mar concluded its summer meet on Sunday, and it was a record-breaking season for the thoroughbred track on the Southern California coast. The 31-day meet generated an all-sources handle of $579.2 million, up about $8.5 million from last year’s total. The...

Steve Bittenbender September 13, 2022
Pinnacle banner

Pinnacle Latest Sportsbook to Join Ontario’s Regulated Online Market

Pinnacle has been a fixture in the Canadian sports betting scene for years. On Monday, the Curacao-based sportsbook revealed it earned regulator approval to operate in Ontario. Monday’s release comes after the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) approved Pinnacle for...

Steve Bittenbender September 13, 2022
Ja'Marr Chase

NFL Week 1 Sports Betting Traffic Up 71% from 2021, Says GeoComply

The first week of the NFL season was a solid one for online sports betting operators. Cybersecurity solutions provider GeoComply announced Monday that it tracked more than 103 million geolocation checks from sportsbooks in legal US markets. With five more states allowing...

Steve Bittenbender September 12, 2022
LA Times

California Sports Betting: L.A. Times Editorial Urges Voters to Reject Prop 26 and 27

The Los Angeles Times, California’s largest newspaper, on Sunday called on voters to reject both sports betting measures, saying in an editorial both Proposition 26 and Proposition 27 offer “more risks than benefits” to the state. The two measures would legalize sports...

Steve Bittenbender September 12, 2022