3704 stories by Philip Conneller
FTX Lawyer Was Key Figure in Notorious UltimateBet Poker Cheating Scandal
The chief regulatory officer of disgraced crypto exchange FTX, Dan Friedberg, has history. The Seattle Wash.-based lawyer was a key figure in one of poker’s most notorious cheating scandals. FTX, formerly one of the world’s biggest crypto exchanges, collapsed spectacularly earlier this...
Ex-Decathlete Sentenced for $45.2M Cannabis Ponzi Scheme Spent $8M in Casinos
A former UCLA decathlete who later represented the Philippines at track and field events has been sentenced to 17.5 years in a federal prison for fraud. American Philippine citizen David Bunevacz, 53, of Calabasas, Calif., stole more than $35 million from investors,...
Texas Poker Rooms Threatened by Bill to Amend Legal Code on Gambling
A bill filed in the Texas legislature would close an alleged loophole in the state’s penal code that has spawned a thriving poker club scene in cities throughout the state. State Rep. Gene Wu (D-Houston) says his bill would clarify a gray...
Federal Judge Unruffled by Bid for Cockfighting Carveout in US Territories
A lawsuit that sought a carveout from a federal ban on cockfighting for Guam and other US territories has been dismissed by the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. Judge Ramona Manglona declined to overrule the previous decision. She wrote...
Landing International Chairman Suspended Amid Securities Regulator Probe
Landing International’s controlling owner, Yang Zhihui, has been suspended from his position as chairman and executive director. That’s after the Hong Kong-based casino developer’s board received notice from the region’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) that Yang is suspected of some shady...
Suncity Operative ‘Mentally Tortured’ by Chinese Authorities
A low-level frontline worker in Suncity’s Market Development Department was “mentally tortured” by authorities in mainland China, a court in Macau has heard. Tearfully, Lao Ian Ian told the Macau Court of First Instance that her boyfriend, Au Wang Tong, was detained...
Paskenta Nomlaki Tribe Gets $10M from Mom and Son Casino Thieves
A mother-and-son embezzlement team that bilked almost $5 million from the Paskenta Tribe of Nomlaki Indians was sent to prison by a federal judge in Sacramento in February. Now, they’re on the hook for $5 million each in criminal damages to the...
Slot Machine That’s Older Than Las Vegas Sells for $248K
It may not come with bombastic bonus features or explosive video cutaways, but it’s a lot more elegant than a modern slot machine, and it just generated a $248,000 payout. Because that was the winning bid for a Caille Bros. 5-cent Roulette...
Pennsylvania Skill Games Caused Store Clerk Murder, Victim Family Claims
On the night of December 12, 2020, in Hazelton Pennsylvania, a known local drug dealer, Jafet Rodriguez, entered Craig’s Food Mart, according to Luzerne County prosecutors. Dressed in a red sweatshirt, black gloves, and a black face mask with white skull teeth,...
Dozens of US Poker Pros Targeted in Banking Fraud, Identity Theft Scam
High-profile poker players are being victimized by a banking scam that exploits weaknesses in the online casino payment processing system, according to the PokerFraudAlert website. The owner of PokerFraudAlert is pro player Todd Witteles, who is himself a victim. He has so...
