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Philip Conneller

In Philip Conneller’s eight years with Casino.org, he has covered the gaming industry from Las Vegas to Macau and everything in between. He currently focuses his coverage on gaming law, white-collar crime, global money laundering, tribal gaming, politics, and regulation.

Philip was the original features editor for poker’s Bluff Magazine and editor for Bluff Europe, which he helped launch. His writing has also been featured in ESPN, Forbes, Time Out, The Sun, and The Daily Star, as well as iGaming Business, eGaming Review, and numerous other industry news and tech websites.

His news stories for Casino.org/news have been linked by The Washington Post, The Daily Mail, People Magazine, and Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show, among many others.

Philip once won $20,000 with 7-2 off-suit. He has been reprimanded for unwittingly playing Elton John’s piano on two separate occasions on both sides of the Atlantic.

He became a writer because he is a lousy pianist.

Philip lives outside London with his wife and children, where he spends his time agonizing about Arsenal FC.

Contact Philip at philip.conneller@casino.org.

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Senior Reporter

Expert since 2018

4211 stories by Philip Conneller

Poker Player Allen ‘Chainsaw’ Kessler Talks About His $1.2M Slot Jackpot at Thunder Valley Resort
August 1, 2024

Poker Player Allen ‘Chainsaw’ Kessler Talks About His $1.2M Slot Jackpot at Thunder Valley Resort

Poker player Allen "Chainsaw" Kessler hit a mind-blowing $1.2M jackpot playing a slot machine at the Thunder Valley Resort in Northern California on Monday. The aftermath of the seismic win was videoed by “Chainsaw” himself...

Written by Philip Conneller
Alaska’s Second Gaming Hall Gets Federal OK After Tribe’s 25-Year Wait
July 31, 2024

Alaska’s Second Gaming Hall Gets Federal OK After Tribe’s 25-Year Wait

A proposal by the Native Village of Eklutna, an Alaska Native group, to build an electronic bingo hall on its land 20 miles outside of Anchorage has been signed off by the federal government. That’s...

Written by Philip Conneller
Bungling Gambler in Alabama Baseball Insider-Betting Scandal Sentenced
July 30, 2024

Bungling Gambler in Alabama Baseball Insider-Betting Scandal Sentenced

Bert Neff, an obscure Indiana youth baseball coach, has been sentenced to eight months in prison for his role in an insider betting scandal that ended the career of University of Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon....

Written by Philip Conneller
Massachusetts Online Lottery Legalized for Late 2025 Launch
July 30, 2024

Massachusetts Online Lottery Legalized for Late 2025 Launch

On Monday, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey (D) legalized online lottery sales when she signed the state’s $58 billion budget package. The move, which has long been mooted in Boston, will “allow the lottery to keep...

Written by Philip Conneller
Russian Gambler on Video Poisoning Parents May Have Killed More, Cops Say
July 29, 2024

Russian Gambler on Video Poisoning Parents May Have Killed More, Cops Say

A gambler from the city of Balashikha in Russia’s Moscow Oblast has been caught on video secretly poisoning his mother and stepfather as part of a plot to inherit their money. Now, Russian police believe...

Written by Philip Conneller
Clueless Lottery Player Misses Out on £11M Jackpot
July 26, 2024

Clueless Lottery Player Misses Out on £11M Jackpot

When a UK man matched all six numbers on the country’s National Lottery, he naturally began dreaming of how to spend the £11 million (US$14.2 million) jackpot. Mark Fletcher, a 49-year-old dad from Wigan, England,...

Written by Philip Conneller
Florida Gambling Den Owner Wants Confiscated $142K Back
July 25, 2024

Florida Gambling Den Owner Wants Confiscated $142K Back

The owner the Golden Nugget Arcade in Palm Beach Gardens is asking authorities to return the $142,029 in cash seized from the venue when it was shut down for illegal gambling and money laundering in...

Written by Philip Conneller
European Soccer Sponsorship Linked to Tech Crime Network Involved in Human Trafficking
July 25, 2024

European Soccer Sponsorship Linked to Tech Crime Network Involved in Human Trafficking

Investigators have uncovered the existence of a shadowy criminal tech group that acts as a “full cybercrime supply chain” for dozens of online gambling brands targeting the Chinese market. The group, dubbed “Vigorish Viper” by...

Written by Philip Conneller
Tennessee Store Clerk Filched $1M Lottery Ticket, Cops Say
July 24, 2024

Tennessee Store Clerk Filched $1M Lottery Ticket, Cops Say

A Tennessee store clerk has been charged with Class A felony theft of more than $250K for his failed plot to steal a customer’s $1 million winning lottery ticket. When the clerk, Meet Patel, 23,...

Written by Philip Conneller
Philippines Bans $3B POGO Industry
July 23, 2024

Philippines Bans $3B POGO Industry

Efforts are underway to dismantle the Philippines' online gambling -- or POGO -- industry after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced Tuesday its total ban, “effective immediately.” The POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator) sector is...

Written by Philip Conneller