Areas of Expertise
4107 stories by Philip Conneller
Black Market Gambling Operators Use Trafficked Cambodia Workers, Says New Report
Three Cambodian workers are being held against their will in an illegal Chinese-owned casino in Sihanoukville, western Cambodia, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reports. It’s the latest in a series of disturbing reports emanating from Cambodia about trafficking and workplace abuse centered around...
Prison for News Agency Employee Who Fiddled Racing Results to Win Bets
A former horse racing analyst at the UK’s national news agency was sentenced to ten months in prison Friday for tweaking results to better reflect his betting picks. Hull Crown Court heard that Jack Bentham, from East Yorkshire, fraudulently “manipulated race data...
Chinese Cops Bust Massive $250M Junket Funneling Gamblers to Tigre de Cristal, Russia
Chinese authorities say they have disrupted a “criminal gang” that operated an underground “industrial chain,” organizing trips for Chinese high rollers to Russia’s Tigre de Cristal casino. According to the public security departments of Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces, the capital involved in...
Ex-Illinois State Rep. Luis Arroyo Changes Plea to Guilty in Sweepstakes Bribery Case
A former Illinois state representative has admitted to bribery charges related to his support of legislation beneficial to the state’s sweepstakes industry. Democrat Luis Arroyo, 67, pleaded guilty to bribery, wire fraud, and mail fraud during a telephone hearing before US District...
Not Rocket Science: NASA Employee Reveals How She Won $1M on Virginia Lottery
A senior NASA scientist has pulled off the ultimate moonshot, winning the Virginia Lottery for $1 million. Norma Farr, a group lead at NASA’s Geolab, matched five numbers in the Mega Millions draw over the weekend. The only number that eluded her...
US House Passes Bill Ratifying Catawba Tribe’s North Carolina Gaming Rights
The US House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would enable the South Carolina-based Catawba Indian Nation to build a casino in North Carolina. The Catawba claim ancestral ties to the area around Kings Mountain, close to the South...
NFL Gets in on the Action with Branded Slot Machine Deal with Aristocrat Gaming
NFL-branded slots machines are coming to a casino near you, thanks to an exclusive multi-year licensing agreement between the league and Aristocrat Gaming. The Australian gaming tech giant said the new machines will hit the casino floors in 2023. They will give...
Four Louisiana Casinos Roll Out Sports Betting as First Licenses Issued
Four casinos have entered Louisiana’s fledgling sports betting market since Sunday, after the state gaming control board issued its first commercial sports book licenses on Oct. 29. Harrah’s New Orleans, L’Auberge Casino in Baton Rouge, Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City, and Boomtown...
Ex-Aspinalls Dealer Wins Racism Claim Against Crown Resorts’ London Casino
A Black British woman who said she faced racial discrimination while working as a dealer at London’s exclusive Aspinalls Casino has won her claim at a UK employment tribunal. Semhar Tesfagiorgis, whose ethnic origin is Eritrean, worked for the members’-only casino for...
Alleged Drug Kingpin/Casino Slots Money Launderer Flees After Sawing-Off Ankle Tag
A suspected drugs kingpin who allegedly laundered millions of dollars through the Star Casino Sydney is on the lam. According to authorities, Mostafa Baluch, 33, sawed-off a tracking device on his ankle and fled just days after he had been granted bail...