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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

3799 stories by Philip Conneller

Ricky Lee Gardipee

Four Dead in Montana Casino Shooting Stemming From Robbery Attempt

A man who shot three people dead in a Montana casino in the early hours of Tuesday morning and was later killed in a shootout with US Marshalls has been named as 41-year-old Ricky Lee Gardipee. Authorities have not yet established a...

Philip Conneller December 20, 2019
Kevin Stitt

Oklahoma Gov. Stitt Demands Tribes Sign Compact Extension or Casinos Will Break Law in 2020

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has offered the state’s tribal operators an extension to their gaming compacts beyond the January 1 expiry deadline. The move is part of his continued attempt to renegotiate casino revenue-share payments. The governor has said unless the tribes...

Philip Conneller December 19, 2019
Tsukasa Akimoto

Japanese Casino Policymaker Probed Over Alleged Ties to Chinese Gambling Company

On Wednesday, Tokyo’s District Public Prosecutor grilled a lawmaker from Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party over his alleged links to a Chinese gambling company that is suspected of breaking foreign exchange laws. Tsukasa Akimoto, 48, a member of the House of Representatives...

Philip Conneller December 19, 2019
Denise Coates

Bet365 CEO Denise Coates Ruffles Feathers, Pays Herself $422 Million in 2019

Bet365 founder Denise Coates has broken the record for the highest executive pay packet in UK corporate history, beating the previous record set last year by… Denise Coates. The publicity shy CEO paid herself £323 million ($422 million) in 2019, up from...

Philip Conneller December 18, 2019
Montana casino shooting

Three Dead in Montana Casino Shooting, Suspect Killed by Police

Three people were killed and one more injured in a shooting at a Montana Casino in the early hours of Tuesday morning, the Great Falls Police Department (GFPD) reports. The suspect is believed to have fled the casino before being tracked down...

Philip Conneller December 18, 2019
Penn National

Penn National Gaming Director Busted for Allegedly Embezzling Gift Cards Worth $75,000

Penn National Gaming’s (PNG) former director of benefits is facing multiple of charges of theft for allegedly pilfering gift cards that she should have bestowed on the company’s employees. Collegeville, Pennsylvania-woman Denise Bitler, 56, was arrested last Thursday following a “labor intensive...

Philip Conneller December 17, 2019
Creek Nation

SCOTUS Takes Up Case that Could Unleash Wave of Tribal Gaming Across Eastern Oklahoma

The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case which could have far-reaching implications for tribal gaming in eastern Oklahoma. It could also create the largest tribal reservation in America, triggering a “seismic shift in criminal and civil jurisdiction,” according to...

Philip Conneller December 16, 2019
UK election

Conservative Party Avalanche UK Election Win Prompts Gambling Industry Shares to Rise

Shares in Britain’s biggest gambling companies jumped on Friday, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson swept to victory in the country’s general elections. Johnson’s Conservative Party -- also known as the Tory Party -- is widely seen as a more industry-friendly...

Philip Conneller December 13, 2019
Heinz-Christian Strache

Novomatic Sells Stake in Casinos Austria Amid Corruption Scandal

Austrian gaming giant Novomatic AG has reached a deal to offload its 17 percent stake in Casino Austria to Czech Republic-based lottery operator SAZKA Group. The sell-off comes as Novomatic is being investigated over corruption allegations involving Casinos Austria and the country’s...

Philip Conneller December 13, 2019
Macau

Beijing to Transform Macau into Financial Hub as Hong Kong Falls Out of Favor

Macau casino stocks jumped Thursday on the news that Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to announce policies to diversify the economy of the special administrative region (SAR) and turn it into a financial center. Four sources familiar with the matter told...

Philip Conneller December 12, 2019