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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.

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Senior Reporter

Expert since 2018

4177 stories by Philip Conneller

Not Again! Another Steve Wynn Picasso Damaged, Pulled from Auction
May 14, 2018

Not Again! Another Steve Wynn Picasso Damaged, Pulled from Auction

Has Steve Wynn inadvertently smashed another Picasso? The fallen casino tycoon has put his planned auction of the Modernist master’s Le Marin on hold after it was damaged on Friday, 12 years after Wynn put...

Written by Philip Conneller
United Nations Bribery Case Gets Macau Billionaire Four-Year Federal Sentence
May 14, 2018

United Nations Bribery Case Gets Macau Billionaire Four-Year Federal Sentence

A billionaire Macau real estate developer -- who wanted to bring a multibillion-dollar conference center to the Asian gambling hub -- was sentenced to four years in prison by a US court on Friday for...

Written by Philip Conneller
Flat Earther’s Bet Flatly Refused by Bookmakers Who Roundly Insist Proof Already Exists That Globe is a Sphere
May 12, 2018

Flat Earther’s Bet Flatly Refused by Bookmakers Who Roundly Insist Proof Already Exists That Globe is a Sphere

A Flat Earther has been left “furious,” according to the UK's Daily Mirror, by the refusal of various bookmakers to accept his bet that the world is not, in fact, round. Gerrard Gallacher -- who hails...

Written by Philip Conneller
Mark Wahlberg Gets Atlantic City Ocean Resort Casino Blessing, Former Revel to Reopen June 28
May 11, 2018

Mark Wahlberg Gets Atlantic City Ocean Resort Casino Blessing, Former Revel to Reopen June 28

Hollywood's highest-paid actor, Mark Wahlberg, has a vested interest in Atlantic City’s new Ocean Resort Casino and is praying it will be a fruitful one. Just for good measure, the actor-turned-entrepreneur -- who was raised...

Written by Philip Conneller
North Carolina Politicians Facing Gambling Charges Following Fox 46 Hidden Camera Investigation
May 10, 2018

North Carolina Politicians Facing Gambling Charges Following Fox 46 Hidden Camera Investigation

A Fox News sting on a “high-stakes” poker game in a bar in Charlotte, North Carolina has landed one current and one former elected official in hot water. Fox 46 Charlotte confirmed Wednesday that former...

Written by Philip Conneller
Louisiana Legalizes Daily Fantasy Sports, But There’s a Catch
May 10, 2018

Louisiana Legalizes Daily Fantasy Sports, But There’s a Catch

The Louisiana legislature has voted to legalize daily fantasy sports. The State Senate on Wednesday approved the state’s DFS legislation by 21-15, following an overwhelming blessing from the House last month. But Louisiana DFS fans...

Written by Philip Conneller
WSOP Runner-Up Gordon Vayo Sues PokerStars Over Tournament Win Nonpayment, Operator Claims Player’s Geolocation in Question
May 9, 2018

WSOP Runner-Up Gordon Vayo Sues PokerStars Over Tournament Win Nonpayment, Operator Claims Player’s Geolocation in Question

2016 World Series of Poker Main Event second-place finisher Gordon Vayo is suing PokerStars for withholding nearly $700,000, which he says he won legitimately in its SCOOP (Spring Championship of Online Poker) internet tournament series...

Written by Philip Conneller
Las Vegas Lucky Dragon Casino Hoping for Bankruptcy Sale, But Main Creditor Has Other Ideas
May 9, 2018

Las Vegas Lucky Dragon Casino Hoping for Bankruptcy Sale, But Main Creditor Has Other Ideas

Andrew Fonfa, owner of the Lucky Dragon Hotel & Casino, is hoping to sell the doomed venture via bankruptcy auction. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, bid procedures are scheduled to be considered at a...

Written by Philip Conneller
Park MGM Takes Over for Monte Carlo Casino in Las Vegas
May 9, 2018

Park MGM Takes Over for Monte Carlo Casino in Las Vegas

The Monte Carlo Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip officially rebranded as Park MGM today, Wednesday, May 9. The building’s $550 million revamp is far from complete, but on Wednesday, its website was...

Written by Philip Conneller
Colorado Gambling Law Tweaked to Ban Skill-Gaming Machines
May 8, 2018

Colorado Gambling Law Tweaked to Ban Skill-Gaming Machines

The days of Colorado’s sweepstakes arcades are numbered. Legislation passed by both chambers and currently winging its way to the Governor John Hickenlooper’s desk will close the “loophole” that allowed skill-gaming arcades to flourish outside...

Written by Philip Conneller