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Reporter: 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.

Areas of Expertise

3043 stories by Philip Conneller

Sam A. Antar, BetMGM, Crazy Eddie

‘Crazy Eddie’ Nephew Loses $30M Legal Fight Vs BetMGM

A New York man who sued BetMGM in a bid to recoup around $29 million he lost gambling on the platform saw his claim dismissed by a New Jersey federal judge Wednesday. Sam A. Antar accused BetMGM, a joint venture between MGM...

Philip Conneller February 3, 2024
Playboy Club Casino, London

Playboy Club Casino Dancer Hired by Sketchy Lawyer Receives Damages

A former dancer at London’s Playboy Club Casino was recruited as a legal secretary by a male lawyer who was a patron at the venue. But the woman, who had been working at the casino while studying for a post-graduate diploma in...

Philip Conneller February 3, 2024
Brad Bohannon, Bert Neff, NCAA, Alabama, college betting scandal

Ex-Alabama Baseball Coach in Betting Storm Gets De Facto Ban

Former University of Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon has been handed a 15-year show-cause penalty by the NCAA after providing insider information to an acquaintance for betting purposes. That means any college that wants to employ the disgraced coach must first justify...

Philip Conneller February 2, 2024
Myanmar, Bai Suocheng, Wei Chaoren, Liu Zhengxiang, Laukkaing

Triad Casino ‘Warlords’ Turned Over to China by Myanmar Junta

Myanmar’s military junta has handed three triad warlords over to Chinese authorities, the BBC reports. Until recently, Bai Suocheng, Wei Chaoren, and Liu Zhengxiang ran the city of Laukkaing in Myanmar’s semi-lawless Shan State as their personal fiefdom. But they were forced...

Philip Conneller January 31, 2024
Benjamin Castellazzo, The Claw, Mafia, Colombo

Colombo Underboss ‘The Claw’ Gets Leniency for Union Shakedown

A federal judge in Brooklyn opted to go easy on an alleged Colombo crime family underboss and former illegal gambling kingpin because of his ill health. In July, Benjamin “The Claw” Castellazzo, 86, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy charges. These were...

Philip Conneller January 24, 2024
Ryan Gatzke, Isaac Melko, Jacob Ballantyne

Casino Worker Told ‘Terror Squad’ to Target Gambler in Home Invasion

A gang member accused of murdering a casino customer during a chilling home invasion was tipped off about the victim’s winnings by an ex-member of the casino’s staff, Sask Today reports. That’s according to an April 2021 filing to North Battleford Provincial...

Philip Conneller January 24, 2024
Isiah Lee, Iowa State, Cyclones, Eyioma Uwazurike

Iowa College Athletes in Gambling Scandal Snared by ‘Warrentless Searches’

Evidence that led to 41 Iowa college athletes being accused of gambling violations was allegedly obtained by warrantless searches conducted by a special agent with the state’s Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). That’s according to an attorney representing two athletes in documents...

Philip Conneller January 23, 2024
Macau casino, chip scam

Macau Casino Scam Doctored Gaming Chips, Inflated Value Tenfold

An unnamed Macau casino has taken an approximate US$200K hit after scammers were able to tamper with gaming chips to alter their denominations. Macau’s Judiciary Police (PJ) said Tuesday the scheme involved the modification of regular house HKD100 (US$13) chips so that...

Philip Conneller January 23, 2024
Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, NRGC, SIG MPX rifles

Nebraska Gaming Board Spent $30K on Semi-Automatic Weapons

The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission (NRGC) spent $30,351 on semi-automatic rifles for its 10 investigators, The Lincoln Journal Star reports. The purchase has raised eyebrows in Lincoln, the state capital. Some lawmakers have questioned whether it’s strictly necessary for an agency...

Philip Conneller January 22, 2024
Ray Gilbert, Mynyamani Stevenson, Tatiania Brice, Case Gang, Oakland

Oakland Gambling Den Guard Linked to Unsolved Homicide Cases

Oakland police have linked a gun found in the possession of a security guard at an underground casino to an unsolved homicide in the city, the East Bay Times reports. They also believe the guard, 25-year-old Ray Gilbert, may know something about...

Philip Conneller January 22, 2024