3972 stories by Philip Conneller
Alvin Chau, Fallen Suncity ‘Junket King’ Gets 18 Years in Prison
Alvin Chau, once one of the most powerful men in Macau’s gambling industry, was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Wednesday for 162 charges of fraud, illegal gambling, and criminal association. As chairman and CEO of now-defunct Macau mega-junket Suncity, the...
Accused Poker Cheater Mike Postle Makes Final Table Using Alias
Mike Postle has been lying low since he was publicly accused of cheating in a lawsuit brought by 88 fellow poker players. But over the weekend, he turned up at the Beau Rivage Hotel and Casino in Biloxi, Miss., to play the...
Party Drug Ketamine to be Studied as Treatment for Problem Gambling
Drugs and gambling generally make terrible bedfellows. But research will soon begein to study the effects of the horse anesthetic turned illegal party drug, ketamine, on problem gamblers. Academics from the University of Exeter in England are working on the theory the...
Cosa Nostra’s ‘Last Godfather,’ Matteo Messina Denaro, Arrested in Sicily
Matteo Messina Denaro, Italy’s most wanted Mafia figure, has been arrested in the Sicilian capital, Palermo, after more than three decades on the run. Messina Denaro is alleged to be the boss of the Cosa Nostra, the secretive Sicilian criminal society that...
Steve Wynn RICO Suit Alleging Judicial Corruption Junked by Appeals Court
A lawsuit accusing Steve Wynn, Wynn Resorts, and others of racketeering and attempting to corrupt the judicial process has been dismissed by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals. The plaintiff’s attorney says he plans to appeal to the US Supreme Court....
Karen Carter Peterson, Ex-Louisiana State Senator, Gets Prison for $140K Gambling Fraud
Former Louisiana state senator Karen Carter Peterson was sentenced to 22 months in a federal prison Wednesday. The ex-lawmaker pleaded guilty last August to plundering $140K from the state Democratic Party and her own campaign fund to feed a crippling gambling addiction....
Levo Chan Trial Heats Up as Macau Judge Loses It with Tak Chun Witness
There was drama in the trial of Tak Chun boss Levo Chan in Macau this week. On Tuesday, the junket kingpin, who is facing charges of illegal gambling, money laundering, and the formation of a criminal syndicate, was forced to leave the...
New York State Cop Tipped Off Illegal Sport Betting Ring, Feds Say
A former New York State Police (NYSP) sergeant is federal facing corruption and obstruction charges after he allegedly tipped off an illegal bookmaking operation that was getting heat from his department. Sgt. Thomas J. Loewke is accused of blabbing to members of...
Mega Millions Grows to $1.3B, Now Second Largest in History
The Mega Millions jackpot has climbed to $1.35 billion, the second-largest prize in its history after Tuesday’s draw once again failed to find a winner. Sixteen players, however, won the Mega Millions second prize of up to $3 million each. The numbers...
Greyhound Racing Trainer Gets Life Ban for Bludgeoning Dogs to Death
An Australian greyhound trainer has been banned for life from the sport for killing four retired greyhounds, allegedly by bashing their heads in with a rock. Ian Anderson of Kernot in rural Victoria initially told authorities he had rehomed the dogs with...
