Steve Bittenbender realized he wanted to become a reporter when he was in the sixth grade at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Louisville, Ky. He brings nearly 30 years of journalism and writing experience to Gambling Insider, where he serves as news editor.
Expertise
During his career, he has covered a mix of sports, politics/government, business, and breaking news, including the legalization of same-sex marriage in Kentucky, an HIV outbreak in Southern Indiana, the COVID-19 crisis in Kentucky and other states, the Kentucky Derby, and University of Louisville athletics. His writing has appeared in Reuters, the Associated Press, The Center Square, Field Level Media, and numerous newspapers and publications, including the (Louisville) Courier Journal.
Since 2019, he has parlayed his experience in sports and government to focus on the U.S. gambling industry, including the rapid growth of legal sports betting across the country after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned PASPA for Casino.org and GDC. In addition to reporting, Steve has served as a subject matter expert and spokesperson, providing insights into the gambling industry to reporters for local media outlets.
Sports and gambling are not just for work. Steve enjoys going to Cincinnati Bengals games (primarily with his son), watching the New York Islanders, and keeping up with the Cincinnati Reds. He also wants to get back into golf and, maybe, poker. To get away, Steve likes to visit bourbon distilleries and wineries with his wife and travel across the country, especially to Las Vegas. He’s also a proud yacht rock aficionado.
Steve attended Boston University, where he studied journalism, and the University of Louisville, where he served as editor-in-chief of the independent student newspaper. He lives in his native Louisville.
