Areas of Expertise
3661 stories by Philip Conneller
Guidiville Rancheria Tribe Loses 14-Year Battle for Richmond, California Casino
A federal judge on Thursday permanently quashed a 14-year bid by the by the Guidiville Rancheria Native American tribe to build a $1.2 billion casino on the site of a former US Navy Depot in Richmond, California. The judge in Oakland officially...
South Korean Companies Fined $1 Million Over Deceptive Loot Box Odds
Three South Korean games developers, have been hit with fines totaling nearly $1 million for misrepresenting the odds used in their in-game loot boxes. According to the Korean Herald, the country’s largest games developer, Nexon Korea, received the lion’s share of fines...
Playtech Makes Billion-Dollar Bet on Italian Market with Snaitech Acquisition
Playtech will establish a dominant presence in the burgeoning Italian gambling market through its biggest ever acquisition. The British online gambling software provider and financial trading group announced Wednesday it will pay $1.05 billion in cash and debt to take over the reins...
Melco Would Invest ‘More than $10 Billion’ on Japan Integrated Resort
Melco Resorts invested $10 billion in Macau when it built the City of Dreams and Studio City integrated resorts, but it would invest more in Japan if it is awarded a license, Melco CEO Lawrence Ho promised this week. "If we are...
Galaxy Entertainment’s Stock Dips on Confusion Over Boracay Casino
Galaxy Entertainment’s stock, which has enjoyed a steady upward trajectory since Macau’s recovery, was rocked this week as the company’s bid to build a $500 million casino on the paradise Philippine island of Boracay was plunged into complete confusion. The Hong Kong-based...
Oklahoma OK’s Ball and Dice Games but No Dice for Sports Betting
Oklahoma legalized craps and roulette at its tribal casinos this week when Governor Mary Fallin signed House Bill 3375 into law, shorn of a provision that would have legalized sports betting. The provision which would have permitted casinos to open sports books...
US State Department Accuses Philippine Casino Sector of Ongoing AML Deficiencies
The Philippines has tightened anti-money laundering (AML) controls at its casinos, but the gaming sector is still guilty of “ongoing deficiencies,” according to the recent US State Department’s Narcotics Control Strategy Report. These include the liberal acceptance of proxy betting and the...
Lawsuits Pile Up Against Social Casino Operators in Washington State in Wake of Big Fish Ruling
A federal court ruling that Churchill Downs’ Big Fish Casino violated Washington State gaming laws has prompted a slew of class action lawsuits against other social games operators in the Evergreen State. Three new class action lawsuits were filed this week, levelling...
Steve Wynn Selling Art Worth $150 Million, Picassos and Warhol Up for Auction
Embattled former Wynn Resorts chairman and CEO Steve Wynn is selling off a chunk of his celebrated art collection. The casino mogul is reportedly in the process of hawking at least three major works, including paintings by Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol,...
888 Holdings Challenges German Federal Court Over Right to Operate Online
888 Holdings will challenge a German federal court ruling that ordered its German-language subsidiary to cease offering online gaming in the southwestern state of Baden Württemberg. The November ruling caused the company to consider leaving Germany entirely. At its most recent earnings...