Areas of Expertise
3884 stories by Philip Conneller
Philippines Police Officers Arrested for Suspected Link to e-Sabong Kidnappings
Authorities in the Philippines have charged or are in the process of charging 13 people with crimes linked to the disappearances of at least 34 stakeholders in the country’s fledgling e-sabong (online cockfighting) market. Among them are five serving police officers. The...
Louisiana Man Who Took Out 250 Student Loans to Go Gambling Faces Prison
A Baton Rouge, La. man who took out more than 250 student loans, in part to fund an excessive casino gambling habit, has been convicted of 15 counts of wire fraud, financial aid fraud, and money laundering. Federal prosecutors said Elliott Sterling...
Ocean Casino Resort Settles with Whistleblower Exec in Wrongful Termination Suit
Atlantic City’s Ocean Casino Resort has reached a settlement with a former general counsel and senior vice president who claimed she was illegally fired for whistleblowing. Loretta Pickus sued the casino and its owner, the Luxor Capital Group, in 2020. She claimed...
1MDB Fugitive Jho Low Gambled $87M at Venetian Las Vegas, Says LVS Exec
Jho Low, the Malaysian financier and international fugitive accused of masterminding the 1MDB scandal, wagered $87 million on the Venetian’s VIP baccarat tables. That’s according to Kirk Godby, a Venetian marketing executive, who was testifying Thursday in front of a federal jury...
Ukraine’s Parimatch Withdraws Chelsea FC Sponsorship After EU Sanctions
Parimatch has withdrawn its sponsorship of the English Premier League’s Chelsea FC. The move followed a decision on Tuesday by the European Union to impose sanctions on the team’s owner, the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. “After considering the situation, we have decided...
Maine Tribal Online Sports Betting Bill Moves, Casinos Grumble
Lawmakers in Maine approved a bill Wednesday that would giftwrap a future mobile sports betting market for the state’s four recognized tribes. But a late amendment, which had the blessing of the tribes, would allow the state’s two casinos to offer in-person...
El Cortez in Downtown Las Vegas to Become Adults-Only Hotel-Casino
El Cortez, Las Vegas’ oldest existing casino, is going adults-only. While much of the Las Vegas casino market has become distinctly family friendly these days, this downtown casino is going back to its roots: a traditional, old school Las Vegas gambling house....
Trafficked Teen Helps Cops Arrest Alleged Las Vegas Casino Pimp
A teenage runaway who was trafficked into prostitution in Las Vegas has helped LVMPD entrap her alleged trafficker. According to an arrest report seen by 8NewsNow, police detained Branden Amir Range in a sting operation last Friday at Bally’s Hotel & Casino...
Brook Casino in NH Helped Drug Lord and Mom Launder Cash, Feds Say
A drugs kingpin from Lynn, Mass. pleaded guilty Tuesday to flooding the North Shore area with hundreds and thousands of fentanyl pills over a three-year period. According to court filings, Vincent “Fatz” Caruso laundered at least some of his ill-gotten gains through...
UK National Lottery Draw Delayed as Disney Film Crew Sets Fire to Studio
On Tuesday morning, UK National Lottery operator Camelot discovered its rebid for the £80 billion (US$108 billion) lotto contract it had held since 1994 had failed. To cap off a dismal day for the operator, on Tuesday evening, the lottery draw was...