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Reporter: 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.

Areas of Expertise

3832 stories by Philip Conneller

Hard Rock International

Hard Rock Int. Acquires Hard Rock Brand in Nevada, Hints at Future Seminole Las Vegas Expansion

The Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Hard Rock International (HRI) announced Wednesday it had acquired all rights to the Hard Rock brand and related trademarks in Las Vegas. That suggests the brand and its incumbent rock memorabilia may not be disappearing from the...

Philip Conneller May 13, 2020
Michigan tribal casino

Michigan Tribal Casino Island Resort Ditched Reopening Plan After State Warnings

In north Michigan, the Island Resort and Casino did not come out of lockdown last week, as its owner, the Hannahville Indian Community, had anticipated. That’s because state officials said they would make life difficult for enrolled tribal members and customers living...

Philip Conneller May 11, 2020
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan Says No Casinos Until Vaccine or Antiviral Breakthrough on Coronavirus

Detroit casinos will not fully reopen until a vaccine against COVID-19 surfaces, or at least until a breakthrough in antiviral medicine makes the virus less deadly to the population, the city’s Democratic mayor Mike Duggan said at a press conference Wednesday. Asked...

Philip Conneller May 7, 2020
Kevin Stitt

Oklahoma AG Says Gov. Stitt Had No Right to Promise Tribes Sports Betting, Asks DOI to Reject Compacts

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt lacks the authority to enter into tribal gaming compacts that include sports betting, his attorney general contends, because this type of wagering has not been approved by the legislature. That’s the opinion of the State Attorney General Mike...

Philip Conneller May 6, 2020
UK horse racing

British Horse Racing Chasing May 15 Restart as UK Plots Slow Lockdown Exit

UK horse racing could make its comeback on May 15 after the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) reported “positive” discussions with government officials last week. The news comes as the UK overtook Italy Tuesday as the European nation with the highest number of...

Philip Conneller May 5, 2020
Shay Ben-Yitzhak

888 Founder Shay Ben-Yitzhak Killed in Plane Crash

Shay Ben-Yitzhak, the Israeli businessman who co-founded online gaming giant 888 Holdings, died in a plane crash on Saturday, Israeli media reported. His 11-year-old son, also a passenger, was initially believed to be gravely hurt, but was later said to have sustained...

Philip Conneller May 4, 2020
Flutter Entertainment

$12.2 Billion Flutter-Stars Group Mega-Merger to Complete May 5, Creating World’s Biggest Online Gaming Group

Flutter Entertainment’s shares spiked Thursday as the company announced its $12.2 billion merger with The Stars Group (TSG) would complete May 5, creating the biggest online gaming company in the world. The enlarged group would have generated combined revenues of around $4...

Philip Conneller May 1, 2020
Florida greyhound racing

Florida Greyhound Racing Ban Does Not Violate Fifth Amendment, Judge Rules

A federal judge in Florida has dismissed a lawsuit that challenged the state’s greyhound racing ban on constitutional grounds. Chief US District Judge Mark Walker said in a 55-page ruling this week that the prohibition was a “legitimate exercise in Florida’s police...

Philip Conneller April 30, 2020
Colorado sports betting

Colorado Sports Betting to Launch Friday with DraftKings, FanDuel, ROAR Digital Despite No Sports

Colorado gaming regulators have vowed to launch the state’s sports betting market this Friday, May 1 as planned. This is despite a lack of any sports to bet on and widespread uncertainty about when that might change. Dan Hartman, director of the...

Philip Conneller April 29, 2020
French soccer

Bookies Hit Hard as France Follows Holland in Abandoning Soccer Season

Sports-starved European bookmakers were dealt a fresh blow Tuesday with the news that French soccer will not resume the 2019-20 season. The decision was taken after the country’s prime minister, Edouard Philippe, announced that all sports would be banned until at least...

Philip Conneller April 28, 2020