3911 stories by Philip Conneller
Gambling Tycoon Linked to 34 Missing People May Have Fled Philippines
Police hunt tycoon Atong Ang in missing sabungeros case Thirty-four online cockfighting enthusiasts disappeared in 2021-2022 E-sabong scandal revives scrutiny of Ang’s controversial past A manhunt is underway in the Philippines for gambling tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang who is wanted in connection...
China Executes Myanmar Casino Crime Family in Fraud, Trafficking Crackdown
China executes members of Myanmar border crime dynasty Patriarch Bai Soucheng already dead, state media says Laukkaing warlord family tied to scams, trafficking, and casinos Beijing signals regional crackdown on Southeast Asia fraud hubs China has executed four members of the notorious...
How Elderly UK Lottery Winner’s $3.3M Jackpot Fueled a $400M Drug Empire
Lottery windfall bankrolled industrial-scale counterfeit Valium production Millions of fake pills containing etizolam flooded illicit drug market EncroChat messages exposed operation linking father, son, and armed accomplices An aged British lottery winner who invested his £2.4 million (US$3.3 million) windfall into building...
FBI Probes Wave of Hoax Bomb Threats Targeting Oklahoma Casinos, Public Facilities
Hoax bomb threat forces evacuation of Comanche Nation Casino Police say multiple Oklahoma casinos targeted in recent threat wave Bomb-sniffing dogs used; FBI assisting tribal police investigation The Comanche Nation Casino in Lawton, southwest Oklahoma, was evacuated Saturday afternoon as law enforcement...
iGaming Billionaire Laurence Escalante Charged with Assault, Burglary, Drug Offenses
Billionaire social casino founder accused of assaulting ex-partner in Perth Police allege burglary, theft, and pattern of domestic abuse Drug charges follow raid on Perth mansion, authorities say The billionaire owner of social casino sites Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker...
Convicted Guam Bingo Boss Flees After Verdict, Lands on FBI Most Wanted
Convicted bingo operator vanished before sentencing after massive Guam charity fraud FBI says sham bingo scheme raised $34 million, none for sick children Michael Marasigan fled to the Philippines after a jury convicted him of fraud A convicted bingo swindler who fled...
Pentagon Pulls ‘Lucky Box’ Machine After Operator’s Social Media Brag
Pentagon removes loot box-style vending machine after online criticism Machine sparked debate over gambling mechanics inside military headquarters Reddit users mocked novelty device as inappropriate for national security site The US Defense Department has removed a “Lucky Box” machine from the Pentagon...
Tobey Maguire Testifies in Tom Goldstein’s $5.3 Million Poker Tax Trial
Maguire says he paid Goldstein $500K after a high-stakes poker dispute Prosecutors allege Goldstein hid millions in poker income from th IRS Filings describe massive poker wins followed by multimillion-dollar losses Hollywood star Tobey Maguire was called to testify Wednesday in the...
Action 247 Shuts: Report Links Payday Loan Sportsbook to Top Tennessee Pol
Tennessee sportsbook shut after scrutiny over payday lending and gambling overlap Probe details lawmaker intervention after regulators suspended betting license Payday lender ties raised consumer protection and ethics concerns The bets are off at Tennessee’s controversial online sportsbook, Action 247, which closed...
Reno Cop Concedes Peppermill Facial Recognition Arrest was Wrongful
Officer concedes AI facial recognition alone never justified the Peppermill arrest New deposition prompts bid to add city of Reno as defendant Case continued despite ID verification and casino admitting misidentification A Reno police officer who arrested a truck driver at Reno’s...
