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Steve Friess

Columnist

Steve Friess writes the State of Play column for PlayUSA twice a week. He's a veteran gambling-industry reporter who began covering Las Vegas in 1996 and covered the openings of resorts in Asia, Europe, and across the U.S. His bylines have appeared in The New York Times, Playboy, New Republic, Time, BusinessWeek, Newsweek, New York magazine, and many others. He, his husband, their children and three Poms live in Ann Arbor.

Posts by Steve Friess:

Ohio Sports Betting Launch Problem Gambling

Steve Friess: Six Months In, Ohio’s Sports Betting Launch Holds Lessons For Regulators, Media

Other states that have launched or are planning to launch sports betting can look to Ohio as a model for how it handled operators.

Posted on: June 27, 2024 | | Steve Friess

PlayUSA online gambling power players

PlayUSA’s 2022 Online Gambling Power Players List Revealed

The 2022 list of online gambling power players includes operators, regulators, and founders who have made an impact in the gaming industry

Posted on: May 14, 2024 | | Steve Friess

Father's Day And Gambling Memories

As Father’s Day Approaches, Remembering A Father-Son Relationship Through Bets

How a father and son found common ground through gambling and created some lasting memories in the process.

Posted on: May 14, 2024 | | Steve Friess

State of Play PlayUSA Sports Betting Racism Jimmy the Greek

35 Years Later, We Live In Jimmy The Greek’s Sports Betting And Racist World

The popularity of sports betting began with Jimmy The Greek in the 1970s but his controversial legacy continues to be timely.

Posted on: May 14, 2024 | | Steve Friess

Super Bowl 57 on TV State of Play

Jerry Green’s First Super Bowl Viewing Like The Rest Of Us

Jerry Green, 94 year-old sports writer, attended every Super Bowl until Sunday. I joined him to watch his first Super Bowl on TV at home.

Posted on: May 14, 2024 | | Steve Friess

Cirque's Mystère 30 Years Later

Steve Friess: Thirty Years of Mystère And The Deluxing Of Las Vegas

The influence of Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère at Treasure Island is undeniable. It was another key element in the reinvention of Las Vegas.

Posted on: May 10, 2024 | | Steve Friess

credit card payments study by UNLV on problem gambling

UNLV’s iGaming Payments Study May Be History’s Most Important Gambling Addiction Research

Sightline data shows that "payments can help identify markers of harm," in new UNLV study of problem gambling behavior.

Posted on: May 10, 2024 | | Steve Friess

Environmentally friendly casinos emerge

Gambling Goes Green In The Vegas Desert

Casino companies are working together to reduce waste, save water and use renewable energy resources in an effort to go green.

Posted on: May 10, 2024 | | Steve Friess

Tarkanian NCAA-Vegas media coverage basketball

How The Media Gets The Tarkanian Story Wrong In Its NCAA-Vegas Coverage

During March Madness, Tarkanian wishes the media would focus more on the unfair and difficult conditions perpetuated by the NCAA.

Posted on: May 10, 2024 | | Steve Friess

White House appointment gamble Asher

Lifelong Gambler Breaks New Ground In Prestigious White House Appointment

Asher, President of sports betting at IGT, will preside over the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars for the next 6 years.

Posted on: May 10, 2024 | | Steve Friess

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