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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

4177 stories by Philip Conneller

Virginia Ex-NASCAR Driver’s Skill Games Lawsuit Nixed as Ban Enforced
November 14, 2023

Virginia Ex-NASCAR Driver’s Skill Games Lawsuit Nixed as Ban Enforced

With the enforcement of Virginia’s skill game prohibition set to kick in Wednesday, a judge in Greensville County has dismissed former NASCAR driver Hermie Sadler’s legal challenge to the ban. Sadler sued Virginia’s then-Gov. Ralph...

Written by Philip Conneller
Poker Player Shawn Sheikhan Gets Four Years for Illegal Cannabis Business
November 14, 2023

Poker Player Shawn Sheikhan Gets Four Years for Illegal Cannabis Business

Poker “bad boy” Shawn Sheikhan has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for operating an illegal cannabis business. Sheikhan is best known for his deep run in the 2005 World Series of Poker...

Written by Philip Conneller
Scattered Spider Casino Hackers Remain Free Despite Being ‘Known’ to FBI
November 14, 2023

Scattered Spider Casino Hackers Remain Free Despite Being ‘Known’ to FBI

For months, the FBI has known the identities of at least 12 “Scattered Spider” hacking group members but has made no arrests. That’s despite many group members being based in the US and other Western...

Written by Philip Conneller
Poker Player’s Dog Death ‘Trainer’ Faces Similar Charges in California
November 13, 2023

Poker Player’s Dog Death ‘Trainer’ Faces Similar Charges in California

A Connecticut “dog trainer” accused of causing the death of poker player Bart Hanson’s bulldog is facing fresh charges linked to a missing German Shepherd in California. Josephine “Josie” Ragland, 27, admitted she was on...

Written by Philip Conneller
Ex-Indiana Lawmaker to Plead Guilty in Spectacle Entertainment Case
November 13, 2023

Ex-Indiana Lawmaker to Plead Guilty in Spectacle Entertainment Case

A former Indiana state representative will plead guilty to a federal honest services fraud conspiracy charge related to the Spectacle Entertainment corruption scandal, U.S. prosecutors have announced. Republican Sean Eberhart, 57, is the third lawmaker...

Written by Philip Conneller
Meth-Dealing Kiwi Poker Champ Gets Add-On for Smuggling Prison Drugs
November 10, 2023

Meth-Dealing Kiwi Poker Champ Gets Add-On for Smuggling Prison Drugs

A poker player from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, imprisoned in 2018 for drug smuggling, saw his sentenced increased this week – because of more drug smuggling. Shane Thompson, also known as Shane Tamihana, enjoyed success...

Written by Philip Conneller
South Dakota Hotel Ordered to Apologize to Native Americans for ‘Racist’ Ban
November 10, 2023

South Dakota Hotel Ordered to Apologize to Native Americans for ‘Racist’ Ban

The owners of a South Dakota hotel-casino that banned Native Americans from the premises must publicly apologize to tribal organizations in the state and throughout the Great Plains region. This is part of a settlement...

Written by Philip Conneller
Oklahoma Man Receives Life Sentence for Murder Over ‘Joke’ Casino Winnings
November 10, 2023

Oklahoma Man Receives Life Sentence for Murder Over ‘Joke’ Casino Winnings

A Muskogee, Okla. man has been sentenced to two life terms in prison without the possibility of parole for a 2020 murder linked to nonexistent casino winnings. Kevin Marvell Jackson, 22, shot Bradley Dillon, 19,...

Written by Philip Conneller
Seminoles’ Revived Sports Betting App Faces Fresh Legal Threat
November 9, 2023

Seminoles’ Revived Sports Betting App Faces Fresh Legal Threat

West Flagler Associates, the pari-mutuel operator battling the Seminole sports betting monopoly in Florida, has petitioned the State Supreme Court to pull the plug on the tribe’s mobile sportsbook. The Seminoles relaunched the app earlier...

Written by Philip Conneller
East Texas Cockfighting Bust Sees 300 Spectators Flee into Woods
November 8, 2023

East Texas Cockfighting Bust Sees 300 Spectators Flee into Woods

Up to 300 people who had gathered to watch and gamble on illegal cockfighting bouts in rural east Texas bolted into the woods as deputies arrived to disrupt the spectacle. That’s according to a Facebook...

Written by Philip Conneller