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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

4150 stories by Philip Conneller

Donald Trump Snapped with Philly Mob Boss Joey Merlino at Florida Golf Course
January 23, 2023

Donald Trump Snapped with Philly Mob Boss Joey Merlino at Florida Golf Course

Former US President Donald Trump posed for a picture with former (some say still) Philadelphia Mob boss Joey Merlino earlier this month. The image obtained by The Philadelphia Inquirer shows Trump, Merlino, and an unidentified...

Written by Philip Conneller
UK Jockey Banned from Horse Racing for ‘Throwing’ Races in Betting Scam
January 21, 2023

UK Jockey Banned from Horse Racing for ‘Throwing’ Races in Betting Scam

A UK jockey who rode roughshod over horse racing integrity rules has found himself banned from the sport for 15 years for his part in a “betting conspiracy.” The British Horse Racing Authority (BHA) determined...

Written by Philip Conneller
Ex-LA Councilman Admits Racketeering in Casino Chip Corruption Case
January 20, 2023

Ex-LA Councilman Admits Racketeering in Casino Chip Corruption Case

Former Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar is expected to plead guilty Friday to federal charges related to a sprawling $1.5 million corruption scheme. Arrested in June 2020, Huizar previously denied being the center of...

Written by Philip Conneller
Reputed Kansas City Mob Figure Banned from Nevada Casinos Dies of COVID-19
January 20, 2023

Reputed Kansas City Mob Figure Banned from Nevada Casinos Dies of COVID-19

A reputed underboss of the Kansas City crime family, who was banned from all Nevada casinos because of his alleged Mob activities, died Tuesday after a long battle with COVID-19, The Kansas City Star reports....

Written by Philip Conneller
Veteran Poker Player Guilty of Sending White Powder to NY Gaming Commission
January 19, 2023

Veteran Poker Player Guilty of Sending White Powder to NY Gaming Commission

Two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Brent Carter has admitted sending letters filled with white powder and making threatening phone calls to the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC), federal officials said Wednesday. The...

Written by Philip Conneller
TonyBet Slapped with £442K Fine for ‘Unfair’ Withdrawal Conditions
January 18, 2023

TonyBet Slapped with £442K Fine for ‘Unfair’ Withdrawal Conditions

European online sportsbook TonyBet has been fined £442,750 (US$547,000) by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) for “unfair” conditions in its small print that could have been designed to frustrate player withdrawals. The regulator said Wednesday...

Written by Philip Conneller
Alvin Chau, Fallen Suncity ‘Junket King’ Gets 18 Years in Prison
January 18, 2023

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...

Written by Philip Conneller
Accused Poker Cheater Mike Postle Makes Final Table Using Alias
January 17, 2023

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...

Written by Philip Conneller
Party Drug Ketamine to be Studied as Treatment for Problem Gambling
January 16, 2023

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...

Written by Philip Conneller
Cosa Nostra’s ‘Last Godfather,’ Matteo Messina Denaro, Arrested in Sicily
January 16, 2023

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...

Written by Philip Conneller