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
Nevada Resort Report Finds Tourism Accounts for $91 Billion Impact
A new report released Friday by the Nevada Resort Association showed that the state’s tourism industry has rebounded very well from the COVID-19 pandemic, although some facets of the sector have yet to recover fully. The trade group released its biennial fact...
Tennessee Lawmakers Pass Bill to Tax Sportsbooks By Handle
Tennessee is on its way to changing how it taxes sportsbooks. On Friday, the state House of Representatives voted 75-7 to pass an amended version of Senate Bill 475. The bill calls for the state to switch from a 20% tax on...
Sports Betting Company Considering Colorado for US HQ, Offered $14M in Incentives
An online gaming company is considering establishing its US base in Colorado. On Thursday, the Colorado Economic Development Commission (EDC) approved up to $14 million in job-based incentives to an unnamed company it described as “a global leader in the online sports...
PrizePicks Becomes an Official Fantasy Sports Operator for NASCAR
PrizePicks on Thursday announced a multiyear sponsorship agreement with NASCAR. It marks the first such deal the Atlanta-based fantasy sports operator has signed with a major professional US sports league. Under the deal, PrizePicks will serve as an official fantasy sports partner...
PlayUp Settles Ohio Case, Agrees to Pay $120K, Won’t Pursue License There for Four Years
PlayUp has agreed to not seek a gaming license in Ohio for the next four years and to pay about $120K in penalties after the Australian-based operator reached an agreement with the state’s Casino Control Commission (OCCC). The OCCC formally signed off...
Betr Signs the Cavinder Twins, Basketball and Social Media Stars, as Content Creators, Equity Partners
Haley and Hanna Cavinder, twin sisters and social media influencers who recently left college basketball, are now partners in Betr, the US-based sportsbook focused on microbetting and original online content. According to a Betr release, the Cavinder twins will “be foundational on-camera...
Kentucky Sports Betting Update: Horse Racing Commission Already Working on Regs
The chairman of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) said Tuesday the agency is already working on launching sports betting in the state. Chairman Jonathan Rabinowitz’s comments at the start of the commission’s meeting were his first since the General Assembly passed...
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Wants Investigation Into State Lottery After Director Retires
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has called for an independent investigation into the state’s lottery, with that move coming a day after Ohio Lottery Commission (OLC) Director Pat McDonald resigned. Cleveland.com reported Thursday that the DeWine Administration was working to identify a...
Ontario Gaming Regulators Considering Ban on Athletes in Online Betting Ads
If gaming officials in Ontario have their way, sportsbook and other iGaming advertisements featuring athletes could be going, going, gone. In a statement Thursday, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) announced a proposed rule that would require licensed operators in...
Kentucky Sports Betting Update: Regulators Explain Quick Launches in Their States
Purely by coincidence, members of the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission (KRGC) were in Kentucky last week. Historical horse racing (HHR) machines will soon roll out in the Sunflower State, and top officials with the agency wanted to see the machines in...