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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

GOP Debate

Kentucky GOP Gubernatorial Candidates Talk Gaming; Sports Betting Bill Gets Hearing Wednesday

Three of the top candidates running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Kentucky said they would support legalizing sports betting, at least to some extent, during a debate held Tuesday night in Louisville. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles,...

Steve Bittenbender March 7, 2023

Calvin Ridley Reinstated by NFL After 1-Year Suspension for Betting on Football

Calvin Ridley, who sat out the 2022 NFL season after being suspended for breaking the league’s rules pertaining to gambling, was officially reinstated on Monday. The league issued a two-sentence statement, noting Ridley is eligible to participate in “all team activities, effective...

Steve Bittenbender March 7, 2023
Victoria University

CFTC’s PredictIt Claims Focus on Relationship Between Aristotle and New Zealand University

Nearly nine years ago, when the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission granted a New Zealand university a no-action letter to establish what’s known as PredictIt, an online political futures exchange, the federal regulatory agency set some ground rules for the site. The...

Steve Bittenbender March 6, 2023
Forte

Road to the Kentucky Derby: Forte’s Odds Drop After Win in 3-Year-Old Debut

Forte lived up to his name Saturday, and now, the 2-year-old champion has risen to become the favorite for this year’s Kentucky Derby. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt scored an impressive 4 1/2-length victory in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park...

Steve Bittenbender March 5, 2023
Timoney

Kentucky Gray Games Ban Bill Faces Murky Future After House Tables It

The Kentucky lawmaker behind a bill that would ban so-called “gray games,” also known as “skill games,” told Casino.org Friday he’s not giving up the fight even though his proposal was tabled by colleagues just hours earlier. In a chaotic scene on...

Steve Bittenbender March 4, 2023
CFTC

CFTC Takes New Direction in Attempt to Shut Down PredictIt

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has revoked a letter it sent last year to PredictIt organizers that vacated its no-action status. However, in doing so, the federal agency also said its taking new steps to shut down the online political exchange. That...

Steve Bittenbender March 3, 2023
KY MAC

Kentucky House Committee Passes ‘Kill Bill’ to Ban Gray Machines Statewide

Call them skill games, or call them gray games. Their name doesn't matter in regard to a new bill aimed at banning the controversial gaming machines that advanced in the Kentucky General Assembly Thursday evening after more than an hour of highly...

Steve Bittenbender March 3, 2023
College students

Offshore Company Out of Line in Urging College Students to Become Bookies – Opinion

Getting unsolicited emails is an occupational hazard in this profession. In most cases, they’re easy to ignore. It’s not as easy to ignore when your dog wakes you up at 3 am by licking your face so she can go outside. It...

Steve Bittenbender March 2, 2023
BetMGM

Ohio Sports Betting: Five Takeaways from the First Revenue Report

Sports betting in the Buckeye State got off to a big start in January, according to the revenue report released Tuesday by the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC). Operators reported a handle of $1.11 billion for the first month of legal sports...

Steve Bittenbender March 1, 2023
Syracuse University

New York Gaming Commission OKs Sports Betting Ad Rules, Gives Update on New Casinos

The New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) approved proposed regulations regarding sports betting advertising at its monthly meeting on Monday. The new rules cover several topics, including limiting exposure to underage audiences and promoting responsible gaming practices. There was little discussion about...

Steve Bittenbender February 27, 2023