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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

4213 stories by Philip Conneller

Thai Senator Probed Over Casino Links to Arms, Drug Trafficker
March 20, 2023

Thai Senator Probed Over Casino Links to Arms, Drug Trafficker

An investigation is underway into why a warrant for the arrest of a high-profile politician was torn up by senior judges. He was suspected of involvement in drug trafficking and money laundering in Thailand. Senator...

Written by Philip Conneller
Las Vegas Shooting Site Buyer Criticized Over ‘Repressive’ Tribal Government
March 20, 2023

Las Vegas Shooting Site Buyer Criticized Over ‘Repressive’ Tribal Government

The government of the tribal nation that recently purchased the Las Vegas Village festival grounds, the site of the 2017 Las Vegas massacre, has been described as an “authoritarian” and “repressive” administration by America’s oldest...

Written by Philip Conneller
Betting Shop Fraudster Gets Stiffer Sentence After Bragging on TikTok
March 18, 2023

Betting Shop Fraudster Gets Stiffer Sentence After Bragging on TikTok

A British man who used laminated banknotes to defraud machines at betting shops has been sentenced to 16 months in prison. But a judge at Liverpool Crown Court said that Michael Shaw’s expressions of remorse...

Written by Philip Conneller
Japan Gambler Sentenced After Blowing Town’s Entire COVID Relief Package
March 15, 2023

Japan Gambler Sentenced After Blowing Town’s Entire COVID Relief Package

A Japanese man was handed a suspended prison sentence after spending a whole town’s COVID-relief package at black market online casinos. Sho Taguchi, 25, received 46.3 million yen (US$347,000) in COVID-19 relief money in April...

Written by Philip Conneller
Tony ‘The Ant’ Spilotro Hitman Nick Calabrese Dies Aged 80
March 14, 2023

Tony ‘The Ant’ Spilotro Hitman Nick Calabrese Dies Aged 80

The man who put vicious Las Vegas-based Mob enforcer Tony “The Ant” Spilotro in the ground has gone to meet the Boss of all Bosses. Former Chicago Mob hitman turned government informant Nicholas Calabrese has...

Written by Philip Conneller
Texas Poker Rooms Hit by Civil Lawsuits Alleging ‘Organized Crime’
March 13, 2023

Texas Poker Rooms Hit by Civil Lawsuits Alleging ‘Organized Crime’

Several West Texas poker rooms are facing lawsuits that accuse them of being a “public nuisance” and committing “organized criminal activity.” The plaintiff, Chicago-based lawyer Mark Lavery, has a history of litigating against legally gray...

Written by Philip Conneller
Canadian Lawmaker Cleared of Peddling Influence to Pay Gambling Debts
March 13, 2023

Canadian Lawmaker Cleared of Peddling Influence to Pay Gambling Debts

A former Canadian lawmaker accused of peddling influence for cash to clear gambling debts was acquitted by a judge at Ontario’s Superior Court Friday. Former Liberal MP Raj Grewal faced allegations that he helped businessmen...

Written by Philip Conneller
Scottish Soccer Player Kane Hester Cleared of Spot Fixing Despite Confession
March 10, 2023

Scottish Soccer Player Kane Hester Cleared of Spot Fixing Despite Confession

A Scottish soccer player has been cleared of conspiring with two friends, one a professional gambler, to deliberately pick up a yellow card. That’s despite the player, Elgin City striker Kane Hester, admitting involvement in a...

Written by Philip Conneller
Levo Chan Defiant as Trial Wraps: ‘Tak Chun Not Triad’
March 10, 2023

Levo Chan Defiant as Trial Wraps: ‘Tak Chun Not Triad’

An emotional Levo Chan denied that his former company, the Tak Chun Group, was a triad organization. In a Macau courtroom on Wednesday, Chan also apologized to staff members whose lives had been impacted by...

Written by Philip Conneller
Illegal Gambling Operator Imprisoned for $2M Theft from US Army
March 9, 2023

Illegal Gambling Operator Imprisoned for $2M Theft from US Army

An illegal gambling operator from Corpus Christi, Texas, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for the theft of more than $2 million worth of sensitive military equipment from the US Army. Nathan Nichols,...

Written by Philip Conneller