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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

4235 stories by Philip Conneller

Top Horse Racing Handicapper and Rhodes College Professor Accused of Accessing Secret Racing Data
August 19, 2026

Top Horse Racing Handicapper and Rhodes College Professor Accused of Accessing Secret Racing Data

A Rhodes College economics professor who teaches a specialized course on racetrack wagering markets has been accused of fraud by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA). Professor Marshall Gramm, above, teaches The Economics of...

Written by Philip Conneller
PokerStars Founder Puts His $152.5M Superyacht on the Market
August 10, 2026

PokerStars Founder Puts His $152.5M Superyacht on the Market

PokerStars co-founder Mark Scheinberg is selling his $152.5 million superyacht—a floating mansion outfitted with its own helipad, infinity pool, and private beach club. One careful owner: PokerStars founder Mark Scheinberg and his yacht Synthesis, which...

Written by Philip Conneller
Woman, 89, Dies Nine Days After Car Plunged Into Pennsylvania Casino Pond
August 9, 2026

Woman, 89, Dies Nine Days After Car Plunged Into Pennsylvania Casino Pond

An 89-year-old Pennsylvania woman has died nine days after she was pulled alive from a vehicle after it plunged into a retention pond at Mount Airy Casino Resort, a crash that also killed her husband....

Written by Philip Conneller
Costa Rica Sportsbook Operator Forfeits $25M, Avoids Prison in Tradewinds Case
August 9, 2026

Costa Rica Sportsbook Operator Forfeits $25M, Avoids Prison in Tradewinds Case

A Costa Rica-based operator who admitted to running the offshore sportsbook Tradewinds avoided prison time and was ordered to forfeit $25 million in illegal proceeds, according to recently uncovered federal court records. Michael “Scott” Brannon,...

Written by Philip Conneller
Spanish Widow Sues Over €35K Lottery Prize After Late Husband Forged Her Gambling Blacklist Filing
August 7, 2026

Spanish Widow Sues Over €35K Lottery Prize After Late Husband Forged Her Gambling Blacklist Filing

A 79-year-old Spanish widow is fighting to collect a €35,000 (US$40,000) lottery prize after discovering her “sexist” late husband forged her signature to place her on a gambling self-exclusion list 13 years ago. A lottery...

Written by Philip Conneller
Feds Seek to Jail Terry Rozier Co-Defendant Over Alleged Witness Tampering
August 7, 2026

Feds Seek to Jail Terry Rozier Co-Defendant Over Alleged Witness Tampering

Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to jail a co-conspirator in the Terry Rozier sports betting corruption case, accusing him of attempting to tamper with witnesses while awaiting trial. Terry Rozier arrives for an arraignment...

Written by Philip Conneller
Spanish Ponzi Victims to Recover Millions From UK Gambling Operators
August 6, 2026

Spanish Ponzi Victims to Recover Millions From UK Gambling Operators

Victims of an alleged €15 million (US$17 million) investment fraud in Spain are set to recover more than a third of their recognized losses from money surrendered by UK gambling operators. Iban Juvanteny Gómez, above,...

Written by Philip Conneller
Lottery Ticket Worth $1.16M Miraculously Rescued From Six Metric Tons of Garbage
August 5, 2026

Lottery Ticket Worth $1.16M Miraculously Rescued From Six Metric Tons of Garbage

An Italian lottery player had to beat almost impossible odds twice: first by matching five winning numbers (1 in 3,478,761), then by recovering the €1 million ($1.16 million) winning ticket from a landfill after mistakenly...

Written by Philip Conneller
Oregon Casino Robber Who Believed He Was God Sentenced to 20 Years
August 5, 2026

Oregon Casino Robber Who Believed He Was God Sentenced to 20 Years

A man who threatened to “bathe everyone in blood” during a robbery at Oregon’s Wildhorse Resort and Casino has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Surveillance footage shows Javier Francisco Vigil pointing a handgun at...

Written by Philip Conneller
‘Arson for Profit’: Lawmakers Push to Ban Wildfire Prediction Contracts
August 5, 2026

‘Arson for Profit’: Lawmakers Push to Ban Wildfire Prediction Contracts

Nine Democratic senators are urging the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to reject wildfire-related event contracts, warning the derivatives could create a dangerous financial incentive for arson. Polymarket’s offshore platform offered event contracts on last...

Written by Philip Conneller