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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

Montreal Casino Sees Loan Shark Murder Fugitive Arrest
January 9, 2023

Montreal Casino Sees Loan Shark Murder Fugitive Arrest

At least one of two fugitive murder suspects wanted in connection with the December killing of an Ontario woman was arrested Friday. The capture came at the Montreal Casino, police told La Presse on Sunday....

Written by Philip Conneller
Ex-UltimateBet Lawyer Cooperating with FBI in FTX Probe
January 6, 2023

Ex-UltimateBet Lawyer Cooperating with FBI in FTX Probe

Daniel Friedberg, the former chief regulatory officer of collapsed crypto exchange FTX and one-time hotshot attorney for notorious online poker site UltimateBet (UB), is cooperating with the FBI, Reuters reports. Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX imploded in...

Written by Philip Conneller
Seminoles Break Ground on New Brighton, Florida Hotel Casino
January 6, 2023

Seminoles Break Ground on New Brighton, Florida Hotel Casino

The Seminole Tribe of Florida broke ground Thursday on the new Seminole Casino Hotel Brighton, west of Lake Okeechobee. The project will replace the existing Seminole Casino Brighton, which has been operating three miles to the...

Written by Philip Conneller
EPL Sacking Index: Lampard Could be Next Manager for the Chop
January 5, 2023

EPL Sacking Index: Lampard Could be Next Manager for the Chop

For a league that inspires fanatical devotion, the English Premier League can also be pretty fickle. Fans of certain teams we won’t mention are notorious for cheering their team one week and booing them off...

Written by Philip Conneller
Sault Chippewa Tribe on Hook for $88M Over No-Go Michigan Casinos
January 5, 2023

Sault Chippewa Tribe on Hook for $88M Over No-Go Michigan Casinos

Michigan’s largest Native American tribe must pay investors in two derailed casino projects more than $88 million in damages, an Ingham County Circuit Court judge ruled this week. Investors sued the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe...

Written by Philip Conneller
Fitzdares: ‘World’s Poshest Sportsbook’ Loses London Home
January 5, 2023

Fitzdares: ‘World’s Poshest Sportsbook’ Loses London Home

Fitzdares, “the world’s poshest bookie,” is looking for a new home. The upmarket, private members club that dishes up lobster croissants with its sports betting odds is being booted from its current location in London’s...

Written by Philip Conneller
Macau Junket Ops Down 85% from 2013 Peak
January 5, 2023

Macau Junket Ops Down 85% from 2013 Peak

Some 36 junket operators registered with Macau’s gaming regulator to conduct business this year, Macau Business reports. That’s down 85% compared to the sector’s 2013-2014 heyday, and around 35% from pre-pandemic levels. Macau’s casinos hit...

Written by Philip Conneller
Soccer Legend Totti Probed by Financial Cops for ‘Suspicious’ Casino Payments
January 4, 2023

Soccer Legend Totti Probed by Financial Cops for ‘Suspicious’ Casino Payments

Financial police in Italy are delving into the finances of Italian soccer legend Francesco Totti. That’s after several suspicious transaction reports (STRs) raised by the Bank of Italy triggered red flags over possible anti-money laundering...

Written by Philip Conneller
Lottery Winner Who Left Prize Check in Shopping Cart Traced Via Social Media
January 3, 2023

Lottery Winner Who Left Prize Check in Shopping Cart Traced Via Social Media

A British lottery winner named “Barry” who inadvertently left his winnings inside a Tesco supermarket shopping cart has been traced and reunited with his windfall. The elderly winner, who prefers to remain anonymous, unwittingly became...

Written by Philip Conneller
FBI Links Money Laundering, Wire Fraud to Imperial Pacific, CNMI Politicos
January 3, 2023

FBI Links Money Laundering, Wire Fraud to Imperial Pacific, CNMI Politicos

A federal complaint that accuses a casino license holder in the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) of money laundering and wire fraud involving local political figures doesn't directly name Imperial Pacific International (IPI). But since IPI...

Written by Philip Conneller