Reporter:
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 [email protected].
Areas of Expertise
1982 stories by Steve Bittenbender
Bob Iger Back as Disney CEO as Company Ponders ESPN’s Sports Betting Future
The Walt Disney Company surprised many late Sunday when the global entertainment giant announced the return of Bob Iger as CEO. Iger, who previously served as Disney’s CEO from 2005 to 2020, replaces Bob Chapek.? Chapek succeeded Iger in that role. The...
Betr Conditionally Approved for Sports Betting in Ohio, Eyes Jan. 1 Launch
Betr took another step toward launching in its first state on Wednesday. That’s when the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) conditionally approved the micro-betting-focused sports betting app for a license in the state. There are still other steps to clear, such as...
MaximBet Closes US Sportsbook Operations, Cites ‘Cost Prohibitive Marketplace’
For the second time in a month, a US sportsbook is calling it quits. This time, it's MaximBet, which made the announcement to its bettors Wednesday. The online sports betting operator owned by the Carousel Group, which partnered with men’s lifestyle publication...
Ohio Sports Betting Update: SPIRE Conditionally Approved for Licenses
With no discussion, the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) on Wednesday gave conditional approval to SPIRE Institute to serve as a proprietor for a mobile sports betting operator and a retail sportsbook. SPIRE Institute operates a large complex for youth and amateur...
New Jersey Voters Oppose New Casinos, But State May Still Need to Consider It
New Jersey voters aren’t necessarily inclined to support an expansion of casino gaming in the state. That’s according to a poll from Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU). Just 37% of those surveyed say they support adding new casinos outside of Atlantic City, and...
Florida Sports Betting Update: Appeals Court to Hear Arguments
The legal issues surrounding a controversial Florida gaming compact that would have brought sports betting to the Sunshine State is again on the docket. The Seminole Tribe of Florida and the US Department of the Interior filed replies Monday in the US...
Yasiel Puig, Ex-MLB Player, to Plead Guilty in Federal Sports Betting Case
Former MLB All-Star Yasiel Puig may go to prison. That's after it was revealed Monday that he reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in an illegal gambling investigation. According to a release from the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District...
Ohio Officials to Consider SPIRE Institute’s Sports Betting Applications
SPIRE Institute, a northeastern Ohio sports complex that hosts youth athletic events, will have its sports betting license applications reviewed by the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) at its meeting Wednesday. The complex? also operates as a “sports performance training and education...
Indiana Sportsbooks Post Strong Handle, Revenue Totals in October
Last month, Indiana sportsbooks posted one of their best months ever since sports betting went live in the state three years ago. In October, the state’s retail sportsbooks and online wagering apps took $446.2 million in wagers for October, according to information...
Culinary Union Working to Cure Challenged Ballots in Nevada Election
Fresh off a canvassing effort that reached more than one million households in Nevada, the Culinary Union said on Friday that its work for the 2022 election is not yet done. With elections officials in Clark and Washoe counties indicating there are...