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
World Series 2022: Houston Astros Hope Healthy Pitching Can Tame Philadelphia Phillies
The 2022 World Series begins on Friday night when the Houston Astros host the Philadelphia Phillies for Game 1 in the best-of-seven series. And to steal a line from the late Yogi Berra, this year’s matchup feels like déjà vu all over...
Betr CEO Joey Levy: Microbetting to Start With Plans for Much More
LAS VEGAS – Many in the sports betting industry envision a future where a gambler can watch the game and bet on it from the same screen. That includes Betr cofounder and CEO Joey Levy. In the final part of our conversation...
California Gov. Gavin Newsom Opposes Prop 27 Online Sports Betting Measure
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday officially came out against the state's Proposition 27. That's the proposed amendment to the state constitution on the Nov. 8 ballot that would legalize online sports betting statewide. Newsom’s stance, first reported by Politico, is really...
Why Circa’s Derek Stevens Says He’s Happy with Fremont Street
LAS VEGAS – I stayed at the Westgate this year for the Global Gaming Expo (G2E), and doing so helped give me a better appreciation of Circa Resort and Casino. Not that my experience at the Westgate was bad. It wasn’t. Rather,...
Betr’s Joey Levy on Building Sustainable Relationships with Sports Bettors
LAS VEGAS – Joey Levy isn’t planning for Betr to be like FanDuel or DraftKings. And that’s not just on the sports betting side of things. The cofounder of the microbetting startup believes everything about the sports betting experience needs to be...
Why Joey Levy Sees Startup Betr as the Future of US Sports Betting
LAS VEGAS – Joey Levy wants to his new company, Betr, to be a game changer in the world of sports betting. The gaming industry knows that Levy and his fellow cofounder, Jake Paul, want to bring microbetting, or in-game wagering, to...
Circa’s Derek Stevens Shares Insights on Safety in Las Vegas – EXCLUSIVE
LAS VEGAS – Crime is an issue in most large cities. But in a place like Las Vegas, which attracts millions of visitors each year, it’s an especially critical issue. It was an issue that came up during the Global Gaming Expo...
Sightline Payments Lands J.P. Morgan Investment for Omnichannel Platform
Sightline Payments this week revealed that it secured a strategic investment from J.P. Morgan Payments. The undisclosed amount of funding will help the Las Vegas-based payments technology provider build a platform for resort and online gaming companies, according to a release. The...
New York Lottery Starts Training Retailers to Prevent Underage Players
The New York Lottery earlier this month rolled out a new training initiative designed to help its retailers understand the need to prevent underage people from playing the game. Besides listing acceptable forms of identification, the lottery’s training program also helps clerks...
Why Mattress Mack Would Like to Own a Horse Racing Track
The gaming world knows Jim McIngvale, aka Mattress Mack, more for his sports bets. But that’s not Mack’s only tie to the industry. He’s also invested in horse racing, best known for owning champion sprinter Runhappy, and his interest in racing almost...