3704 stories by Philip Conneller
Chinese Company Convicted in $1M Casino Chip Bribery Case of L.A. Councilman
On Thursday, A federal jury in Los Angeles convicted Chinese property developer Shenzhen New World Group and its billionaire owner, Wei Huang, 57, of bribing LA Councilman Jose Huizar with more than $1 million. Jurors took just three hours to find the...
Poker Player Susie Zhao Murderer Handed Life Sentence in Michigan
A 62-year-old Michigan man convicted of the appalling rape and murder of poker player Susie “Susie Q” Zhao was sent to prison for life on Thursday. Sentencing Judge Martha Anderson of Oakland County Circuit Court told Morris he had “taken advantage of...
NJ Lottery Ditches Twitter After Ads Appear on Anti-Semitic Russian Paramilitary Feed
The New Jersey Lottery has suspended all Twitter advertising. That's after an ad publicizing the Powerball jackpot appeared in a feed supporting a Far-Right Russian paramilitary organization. The feed included anti-semitic memes and cartoons that stereotyped and dehumanized Jewish people, NBC New...
Jury Mulls Case of Chinese Billionaire Accused of LA Councilman Casino-Chip Bribery
A federal jury in Los Angeles began deliberations Wednesday on a $1 million bribery case involving a wealthy Chinese property developer and LA City councilman Jose Huizar. Wei Huang, the president of the Shenzhen New World Group, is accused of showering Huizar...
Alvin Chau Trial: Macau Cops Present Evidence of Illegal Suncity Betting Ops
Former Suncity chairman Alvin Chau “used his entire corporation to run under-the-table bets,” an officer of Macau’s Judiciary Police (PJ for its Portuguese acronym) told Macau’s Court of First Instance Wednesday. PJ investigator Mak Weng Kin presented the court with a two-hour...
Texas Card House Asks Judge to Suspend Poker Room Shutdown Order
Popular Dallas poker club Texas Card House is asking for a stay of execution. Last month, a Dallas County Court judge upheld city officials’ decision to revoke the club’s license of occupancy, which would force it to close. Last week, attorneys for...
Kevin Stitt Reelected Oklahoma Governor, Not OK for Tribal Casinos
Oklahoma voters have reelected Gov. Kevin Stitt (R). It’s an unfavorable result for the state’s vast tribal gaming industry, which backed the Democratic challenger, Joy Hofmeister. The Republican incumbent garnered 55.5% of the vote. The tribes have quarreled with Stitt over revenue-share...
Hard Rock AC Sued Over ‘Short-Changing’ Slots Cash-Out Vouchers
A New York slots player is suing the Hard Rock in Atlantic City, claiming the casino is short-changing its customers. A proposed federal class action lawsuit filed Saturday in the Eastern District of New York accuses Hard Rock of breach of contract,...
Massachusetts Lottery Frequent Winner Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud Conspiracy
A Waterford, Mass. man who has won the lottery more than 13K times pleaded guilty Friday to charges of tax fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and filing false tax returns. Mohamed Jaafar, 30, is accused of operating an industrial-scale ticket-cashing scheme with...
Detroit Gang ‘Team Cookies’ Washed Profits Through MotorCity Casino, Feds Say
A Detroit drug trafficking gang that called itself “Team Cookies” used domestic flights to transport its illicit cargo, The Detroit News reports. The organization washed profits through MotorCity Casino and other gaming establishments, according to court filings. Federal authorities in February charged...
