1979 stories by Steve Bittenbender
Addabbo Confident New York Mobile Sports Betting Can Launch This Year
New York state Sen. Joseph Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens), the lawmaker spearheading the push for the Empire State to embrace mobile sports betting, doesn’t just believe the state legislature will pass a bill soon to expand sports betting in the state. He also...
Pokagon Starts Online Gaming in Michigan, Makes Progress on Tribal Compact in Indiana
Michigan added yet another online gaming option Monday, as the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians announced the rollout of its platform. The Pokagon operates three Four Winds casinos in the southwestern part of Michigan’s lower peninsula. Pala Interactive LLC will serve as...
Ex-Broker Arrested for Taking $411K from Clients, Some Money Went to Casinos
A debarred investment broker is out on bail after federal authorities charged him with stealing more than $400,000 from clients. The money was used to pay personal debts, including money he owed casinos. Apostolos Pitsironis, 52, faces up to 20 years in...
January Hoops Helps Indiana Post Another Record-Breaking Sports Betting Month
The Hoosier State’s growth in sports betting continues into 2021. That’s according to the Indiana Gaming Commission, which released January’s wagering totals on Friday. Bettors wagered $348.2 million in January, up 11.2 percent from the $313.1 million handle reported in December. It’s...
Koch Buys Into Vegas, Brings Fontainebleau Back in Purchase of Unfinished The Drew
The Drew Las Vegas, the albatross of the Strip, will soon be under new ownership. On Thursday, a new group announced its plan to purchase the multi-billion casino, which is still unfinished 14 years after construction began. One of the new owners...
5Dimes, Prepping for Legal Launch, Gets Gaming License in Isle of Man
5Dimes has taken another step toward legitimacy, announcing it has been licensed in the Isle of Man. The move comes four months after reaching a deal with the US Department of Justice to stop servicing American clients as an illegal offshore sportsbook....
Larry Flynt, Controversial Publisher and Cardroom Owner, Dies in California Home
Larry Flynt, who founded Hustler magazine and would later own two California cardroom casinos, died Wednesday at age 78. The Hustler Club in Las Vegas announced his death on its Twitter account. His brother, Jimmy, told The Cincinnati Enquirer Flynt died at...
Former Louisiana Gaming Chair Takes on Advisory Role for Entain
Former Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Jones has a new job. The Advocate reported Monday that he will serve as an advisor to British gaming company Entain. The report comes just a couple of days after an ethics panel cleared Jones...
Titus Hopes Apprenticeship Bill to Help Hotels and Casinos Can Pass Senate
For the second time in just more than two months, the US House of Representatives passed a bill to bolster apprenticeship programs across the country. And for the second time, the legislation includes funding for the tourism and hospitality industry. House Bill...
Chicago Area Bookie Pleads Guilty as Trump-Pardoned Mayor Connected to Case Seeks Re-Election
A Chicago area man pleaded guilty in a federal court last week to orchestrating an illegal bookmaking business over several years. Vincent “Uncle Mick” Del Giudice admitted Tuesday to two counts in a US District Court for the Northern District Court. He...
