Areas of Expertise
3662 stories by Philip Conneller
Warren Buffett Weighs in on ‘Anti-Native American’ Nebraska Casino Opposition Campaign
Warren Buffett is no fan of gambling, and the billionaire investor won’t be backing gambling expansion next week at the ballot in his native Nebraska. But the Omaha resident has taken exception to a mailer opposing expansion for its “anti-Native American” tone,...
Las Vegas Underground Banking Operator Pleads Guilty to Funding Chinese Casino VIPs
An illegal underground banker pleaded guilty Wednesday in a federal court in San Diego to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Fan Wang’s operation typically involved supplying Chinese nationals with US dollars, primarily for the purposes of gambling in Las Vegas casinos....
Dangerously Cute? UK Advertising Watchdog Bans ‘Fluffy Favorites’ Ad
Britain’s advertising watchdog has castigated GVC Holdings for a Facebook advertisement that promised to unleash a “rollercoaster of cuteness” on consumers. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said that the cartoon-like imagery in the ad for the online slot ‘Fluffy Favourites’, along with...
5Dimes, Rogue Sports Book Seeking New Jersey Gambling License
5Dimes, the Costa Rica-based black market sports book with ambitions of going legit, has applied for a New Jersey gambling license, according to the widow of 5Dimes’ former owner. Laura Varela is the new owner of 5Dimes. Her husband, William Sean “5Dimes...
Las Vegas Cyclist Killed by Senseless Prank Was Longtime Boyd Employee
A cyclist was killed after she was hit by a man leaning out of a minivan window of a minivan. The cyclist was a longtime Boyd Gaming employee who worked as a front-desk manager at the Cannery Casino, The Las Vegas Review-Journal...
Lindsey Graham Backflipped on Catawba Casino After Gaming Tycoon Campaign Donations
Republican US Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) changed his tune about a Catawba tribal casino in the Carolinas after Wallace Cheves, the casino tycoon financing the project, wooed him with campaign donations, according to a report by Yahoo News. Graham’s colleague in Congress,...
Jihadist Who Plotted to Bomb Crown Casino Melbourne Will Stay Behind Bars
An Australian Jihadist leader who planned to blow up the Crown Casino Melbourne will remain in prison for at least four more weeks as the country’s government appeals to its highest court to keep him locked up. In 2008, Abdul Nacer Benbrika,...
BC Lottery Corp Investigator Berated by Boss for Investigating Money Laundering Hotbed, Inquiry Hears
A former investigator for the British Columbia Lottery Corp (BCLC) was warned off questioning high rollers at the River Rock Casino in Richmond, Metro Vancouver, by his superiors in 2012. Steven Beeksma told the Commission of Inquiry into Money Laundering in BC...
LVS Shareholders Sue Casino Giant Over Suspicious Transactions at Marina Bay Sands
Las Vegas Sands Corp (LVS) is being sued by a group of investors over its alleged mismanagement of VIP money transfers at the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) in Singapore. The class-action suit has been filed by investor rights firm Bernstein Leibhard in...
Australia Could Make Operators Liable for Stolen Money Gambled
A bill soon to be introduced to Australia’s federal parliament would make betting companies liable to repay stolen money gambled through their operations. The "Making Gambling Businesses Accountable" bill has been authored by Independent MP Andrew Wilkie, a longtime anti-gambling campaigner. It...