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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

1979 stories by Steve Bittenbender

Tropicana Evansville Twin Rivers

Twin River, GLPI Buy Tropicana Evansville from Caesars in $480M Deal

Caesars Entertainment Inc. announced Tuesday that it has reached a deal to sell its Tropicana Evansville casino in Indiana to Gaming and Leisure Properties (GLPI) and Twin River Worldwide Holdings. The complex deal is valued at nearly half a billion dollars. Under...

Steve Bittenbender October 28, 2020
G2E Miller

AGA’s Miller Kicks Off Virtual G2E, Says US Gaming Strong Despite COVID-19

Even as COVID-19 has brought a lot of uncertainty to the country, the economy, and the gaming industry in America, the head of the country’s leading trade organization for casinos opened the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) and said he sees a bright...

Steve Bittenbender October 27, 2020
Vegas casino layoffs

Penn National Gaming’s M Resort, Tropicana Las Vegas Announce More Layoffs

A Nevada economy still in the doldrums from the COVID-19 crisis received some more bad news in recent days. Two Las Vegas-area casinos operated by Penn National Gaming announced more layoffs. Last Wednesday, the M Resort Spa Casino in Henderson reported to...

Steve Bittenbender October 27, 2020
Boyd cashless gaming

Boyd Debuts Cashless Gaming at Blue Chip, Plans Casino Expansion, Mobile Apps

On Monday, Boyd Gaming has taken its first step into cashless gaming. The casino partnered with Aristocrat Technologies for a pilot project at the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, Ind. Depending on how the Blue Chip initiative fares, and with proper...

Steve Bittenbender October 27, 2020
Baffert

Baffert’s Attorney Calls for Changes in Horse Racing Drug Policies After Gamine Test

An attorney for legendary thoroughbred trainer Bob Baffert issued a statement Friday claiming a New York Times report regarding a failed drug test for Gamine after the Kentucky Oaks was “inaccurate and needs to be cleared up.” Craig Robertson, a Lexington, Ky....

Steve Bittenbender October 24, 2020
Big Ten IU football

DraftKings Refunds Some Penn State Bets After Indiana Pulls Out Upset

The first weekend of Big Ten college football action provided some big upsets – attaboy, Rutgers -- as well as a dramatic and controversial finish that ended up prompting DraftKings to refund some bets. Perhaps the game of this season took place...

Steve Bittenbender October 24, 2020
social casino lawsuit

Federal Lawsuits Claim Apple, Google Profit from Social Gaming Apps Illegal in Alabama

Two lawsuits were filed in an Alabama federal court Wednesday against Google and Apple. The matters claim the tech giants allow residents in the southern state to download apps and gamble illegally. The plaintiffs want a judge to grant class-action status to...

Steve Bittenbender October 22, 2020
The Cromwell Vegas

The Cromwell Reopening for ‘Adults Only’, Caesars Entertainment Also Resuming in Vegas

Caesars Entertainment announced Thursday that when The Cromwell reopens next week, it will do so as the first “adults-only” resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The move means the hotel will be available only for guests 21 years old and up, although...

Steve Bittenbender October 22, 2020
DraftKings fined Iowa

Iowa Gaming Officials Fine DraftKings $5,000 for Violating Self-Exclusion List Regulations

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has fined DraftKings $5,000 for violating a regulation regarding the state’s self-exclusion list. IRGC Administrator Brian Ohorilko told Casino.org Thursday that the Boston-based sports technology and entertainment company failed to download the updated list within seven...

Steve Bittenbender October 22, 2020
Baffert Gamine

Gamine, Bob Baffert-Trained Filly, Reportedly Failed Drug Test After Kentucky Oaks

Gamine, a stakes-winning thoroughbred trained by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, reportedly tested positive for a banned substance after her third-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks. The New York Times reported the story Thursday evening, citing anonymous sources. If true, it...

Steve Bittenbender October 22, 2020