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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

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
Steve Wynn RICO Suit Alleging Judicial Corruption Junked by Appeals Court
January 12, 2023

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...

Written by Philip Conneller
Karen Carter Peterson, Ex-Louisiana State Senator, Gets Prison for $140K Gambling Fraud
January 12, 2023

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...

Written by Philip Conneller
Levo Chan Trial Heats Up as Macau Judge Loses It with Tak Chun Witness
January 11, 2023

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...

Written by Philip Conneller