Casino.org logo Main menu

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.

Avatar photo

Senior Reporter

Expert since 2018

4185 stories by Philip Conneller

UK Horse Racing Bounces Back from Lockdown, Promises Action-Packed Month
June 1, 2020

UK Horse Racing Bounces Back from Lockdown, Promises Action-Packed Month

British horse racing made its comeback on Monday after a 76-day hiatus. Newcastle provided the action for a population largely starved of betting opportunities since the wholesale cancellation of sports in mid-March. James Sullivan and...

Written by Philip Conneller
Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Among Targets for ISIS Acolyte Who Planned Mass Shooting: FBI
May 29, 2020

Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Among Targets for ISIS Acolyte Who Planned Mass Shooting: FBI

A Tampa man who told an undercover FBI agent he wanted to kill Americans and “infidels” -- including his own father -- allegedly planned to carry out a mass-casualty shooting in the Tampa Bay area....

Written by Philip Conneller
DC Online Sports Betting Goes Live After Bumpy Journey, App Still Not Ready
May 28, 2020

DC Online Sports Betting Goes Live After Bumpy Journey, App Still Not Ready

The DC Lottery’s sports betting platform, GamBetDC, went live Thursday and is now taking bets, albeit from a threadbare sporting calendar. The District’s retail operations at sports bars and stadiums -- which will include a...

Written by Philip Conneller
California Casino Owner, Notorious Mormon Sect Member Joe Kingston Dies from Coronavirus
May 27, 2020

California Casino Owner, Notorious Mormon Sect Member Joe Kingston Dies from Coronavirus

Joseph Ortell Kingston, co-owner of California’s Lake Elsinore Casino and member of Utah’s controversial Mormon fundamentalist Kingston Group, has died from COVID-19, The Salt Lake Tribune reports. Kingston, 63, was the full brother of Paul...

Written by Philip Conneller
UK Betting Industry Shares Jump on £1 Billion FOBT Tax Windfall
May 22, 2020

UK Betting Industry Shares Jump on £1 Billion FOBT Tax Windfall

Shares in Britain’s leading betting companies rose Thursday on the news that the sector is preparing to collect on a $1 billion ($1.22 billion) tax rebate. Last month, an upper tax tribunal agreed with an August...

Written by Philip Conneller
Tokyo Head Prosecutor Resigns Over Mahjong Gambling Party That Ignored Social Distancing
May 21, 2020

Tokyo Head Prosecutor Resigns Over Mahjong Gambling Party That Ignored Social Distancing

One of Japan’s top public prosecutors quit Thursday after he was caught breaching stay-at-home laws to attend gambling parties. Until Thursday, Hiromu Kurokawa, 63, as head of the Tokyo High Public Prosecutors Office, was Japan's...

Written by Philip Conneller
Connecticut Tribes, Gov Lamont Clash Over Casino Reopenings
May 20, 2020

Connecticut Tribes, Gov Lamont Clash Over Casino Reopenings

Connecticut’s two federally recognized tribes, the Mashantucket Pequots and the Mohegans, are itching to reopen their casino doors as soon as possible. Despite promises of “extraordinary measures” to protect employers and customers, the state’s Democratic...

Written by Philip Conneller
Bundesliga Betting is Back: German Soccer First to Kick Off Again as Lockdown Eases
May 18, 2020

Bundesliga Betting is Back: German Soccer First to Kick Off Again as Lockdown Eases

Germany’s Bundesliga is the first major European soccer league to return to action, with games progressing behind closed doors from Saturday to Monday. While the matches were as physical as ever, with tackles flying and...

Written by Philip Conneller
William Hill Reports 90 Percent US Downturn, Promises to ‘Power Up Quickly’ When Sports Resume
May 15, 2020

William Hill Reports 90 Percent US Downturn, Promises to ‘Power Up Quickly’ When Sports Resume

William Hill’s US operations have lately been hailed as the antidote to regulatory headwinds in its native UK, but apparently not during a global pandemic. The British bookmaker said in a Friday morning earnings call...

Written by Philip Conneller
Hard Rock Int. Acquires Hard Rock Brand in Nevada, Hints at Future Seminole Las Vegas Expansion
May 13, 2020

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...

Written by Philip Conneller