1979 stories by Steve Bittenbender
After Fanless Meet Ends This Weekend, Santa Anita to Become Election Site for LA Voters
Santa Anita wraps up its fall racing meet this weekend. But the Southern California track won’t close down officially just yet. Starting next Thursday, the historic property will open its doors and become a voting center for the first time since the...
As Louisiana Referendum Nears, Sports Betting Proponents Speak Out in Favor of Measure
The push to get sports betting legalized in Louisiana has taken a public turn in the last week. Newspapers, a key business organization, and state lawmakers have come out in support of the measure. Voters in all 64 of the state’s parishes...
Illinois Man, 85, Gets Three-Month Home Incarceration Sentence for Role in Illegal Chicago Sports Betting Operation
An 85-year-old man received a three-month home detention sentence Monday from a federal judge in Illinois, as well as a year of probation for his role in an illegal sportsbook in the Chicago area. The sentencing of Eugene "Geno" Del Giudice comes...
Arkansas Officials Get Sneak Peak of Saracen Casino Before Tuesday’s Grand Opening
Officially, the Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, Ark., is set to hold its grand opening on Tuesday. However, state and community leaders got a sneak peek at the $350 million development on Thursday, when the Downstream Development Authority of the Quapaw...
Crown Resorts Announces Money Laundering Investigation by Australian Authorities
Crown Resorts Limited announced Monday morning (Sunday night, ET) that Australian authorities are investigating the gaming company’s Melbourne casino for potential violations of money laundering and other laws. The Australian-based gaming company made the revelation in a statement to the Australian Securities...
Elon Musk’s Vegas Loop Will Only Serve Fraction of Convention Center Traffic, Report Claims
A report released Friday casts some serious doubts about the capabilities of Elon Musk’s underground people mover currently under construction below the Las Vegas Convention Center. And that could end up costing Musk’s The Boring Company quite a bit of money. TechCrunch.com...
New Jersey, Pennsylvania Set Handle Records, Analyst Says Garden State Supplants Nevada in Sports Betting
For the second straight month, sportsbooks in New Jersey and Pennsylvania posted record-breaking handles in September. That led at least one expert to believe we’ve reached the tipping point regarding Nevada’s claim on being the top state for sports betting. New Jersey...
College Football Saturday: Alabama Coach Saban Looks to Beat COVID and Georgia
Alabama and Georgia will battle Saturday night in a top 3 duel that will give the victor a leg up in both the SEC race and, more importantly, the College Football Playoff picture. Yet, the biggest story surrounding this game, like pretty...
Jilted Baby Mama Gets Half of $100K Winning Lottery Ticket, Pennsylvania Court Rules
A Pennsylvania court last week upheld a lower court’s ruling that a man must split the winnings from a $100,000 lottery ticket with a former girlfriend he spurned after claiming the prize. In February 2018, Jeffrey Jones and Ruthann Colachino were...
Chinese Businessman at Center of Canadian Gambling Investigation Met Twice with PM Trudeau
A Canadian police investigation into an illegal gambling and spa operation took an interesting turn this week. It was learned the main suspect in the investigation had previous meetings with Justin Trudeau, the country’s prime minister. The National Post reported that Wei...
