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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

Vegas masks

Clark County Leaders Call Emergency Meeting Tuesday, Masks in Vegas a Likely Topic

Clark County announced on Monday that the Board of Commissioners will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday afternoon to discuss the significant rise in COVID-19 cases over recent weeks. It will also discuss the mask recommendation made Friday by the Southern Nevada Health...

Steve Bittenbender July 19, 2021
PGCB New Chair

Smyler Tabbed as New Chair of Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

Monday marks a new era in Pennsylvania gaming. Denise Smyler will take over as chairperson of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. She is succeeding David Barasch, whose six-year stint as PGCB chair ended last week. Gov. Tom Wolf (D) made the announcement...

Steve Bittenbender July 19, 2021
Britney Spears

Britney Spears Says No More Stage Shows Until She’s Free From Her Father

Legendary pop star Britney Spears spoke freely on Instagram over the weekend. She wrote to say that she won’t be returning to a stage in Las Vegas – or anywhere, for that matter – as long as her father maintains a role...

Steve Bittenbender July 19, 2021
Ontario casinos

Ontario Authorities Launch Money Laundering Task Force as Casinos Reopen

The majority of Ontario’s casinos reopened on Friday, as Canada’s most populous province took another step toward fully reopening from the COVID-19 pandemic. Gaming officials there also launched a new initiative to combat money laundering schemes. A task force established by the...

Steve Bittenbender July 17, 2021
Vegas mask

Pleas for Vaccinations Continue, As Las Vegas Area Health Leaders Urge Mask Use

Representatives from the Las Vegas tourism and gaming industry on Friday again called on more people to get a COVID-19 vaccine. That's after area health officials issued a recommendation earlier in the day. The call asks for all individuals in the region...

Steve Bittenbender July 17, 2021
Baffert injunction

Bob Baffert Wins Injunction to Race Horses at New York Tracks

Bob Baffert got a victory in the courtroom Wednesday when a federal judge blocked a suspension against him handed down by the New York Racing Association (NYRA). Baffert is best known as the legendary thoroughbred racehorse trainer whose reputation is in tatters...

Steve Bittenbender July 15, 2021
WynnBET Ambassadors

WynnBET Scores Ambassador Deals with Former NFL Cincinnati Bengals, NY Jets, and Soccer Stars

WynnBET on Wednesday announced the signing of three well-known former pro athletes. They will serve as brand ambassadors for the mobile sports betting app. The Wynn Interactive product, which is currently available in Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Virginia, brought...

Steve Bittenbender July 15, 2021
Wimbledon match-fixing

Suspicious Betting Activity Triggers Alerts for Two Wimbledon Tennis Matches

A German newspaper has reported that two matches at Wimbledon have been referred to the International Tennis Integrity Agency over concerns of match-fixing. WELT said it learned a men’s doubles first-round match and a singles match were the targets of aberrant betting...

Steve Bittenbender July 13, 2021
MLB to Las Vegas

MLB Commissioner: Athletics Not Trying to “Bluff” Oakland With Las Vegas Talks

The effort to bring Major League Baseball to Las Vegas picked up steam Tuesday, when Commissioner Rob Manfred said no one should consider the Oakland A’s interest there as just a “bluff.” The commissioner spoke to members of the Baseball Writers Association...

Steve Bittenbender July 13, 2021
Ontario casinos

Ontario Casinos OK to Reopen as Early as Friday as COVID-19 Wanes

Great Canadian Gaming Corp. announced on Monday it will take the necessary action to reopen 11 of their casinos in Canada’s most populous province this Friday. This Friday, July 16, is the new date that Ontario will enter into Step Three of...

Steve Bittenbender July 12, 2021