Areas of Expertise
3260 stories by Philip Conneller
Myanmar Rebel Offensive Ousts Chinese Mafia from Notorious Casino Town
A coalition of rebels in Myanmar’s semi-lawless Shan State have stormed the border gambling town of Laukkaing, toppling the local Chinese mafia that have run its casinos and scam factories for years. An alliance of three regional ethnic minority groups and pro-democracy...
Iowa Nation Casino “Delayed by Years” Because of Compact Dispute
The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma’s efforts to build a new gaming venue across from its modest Ioway Casino on Route 66 have been “delayed by years,” a Tribal leader claims. That's because of an ongoing spat between the Governor’s Office and the...
Italian Mafia: 200 Sentenced in ‘Ndrangheta Maxi-Trial
A former Italian senator, an ex-police chief, a former mayor, and two former regional councilors were among 207 defendants sentenced Monday in Italy’s biggest Mafia trial since the 1980s. The three-year “maxi-trial” saw individuals allegedly linked to the country’s most powerful Mafia...
Yonkers Harness Racing Resumes After Serious Accident
Yonkers Raceway resumed racing Monday following a serious accident on Friday that injured at least four drivers. In the eighth race on Friday, one horse tripped coming into the first bend, leading to a domino effect as trailing horses smashed into the...
Oklahoma Gov. Stitt’s ‘Support’ for Cockfighting Group Not OK, Say Critics
Oklahoma’s Republican Governor Kevin Stitt is facing censure from animal rights groups -- and raised eyebrows from political opponents -- after posting a video shoutout to the state’s illegal cockfighting industry. Incredibly, Stitt has made a short video in support of the...
Rivers Casino Des Plaines Customer Info Compromised in Cyberattack
Rivers Casino Des Plaines, Illi., said Thursday that it suffered a cyberattack over the summer that compromised the private data of an undisclosed number of patrons and employees. While the attack occurred “on or around” August 12, it was only uncovered in...
$1.35B Mega Millions Winner Sues Ex for Blabbing About Win to Parents
Maine’s biggest lottery winner is suing his ex, potentially for hundreds of thousands of dollars, for telling his parents about his $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot win. The plaintiff, named in court documents as “John Doe,” accuses the mother of his daughter,...
Ex-Crown Resorts Guard Claims James Packer Dodging Assault Case Costs
Former Crown Resorts tycoon James Packer is once again being sued by a security guard who claims he was assaulted by the billionaire in 2016. Dr. Iskandar Chaban alleges Packer and Crown Resorts have failed to pay legal fees stemming from a...
DraftKings Hacker Pleads Guilty to Stealing $600K from Customer Accounts
A Madison, Wisconsin teenager pled guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to commit computer intrusion. The plea came in relation to the theft of more than $600K from around 1,600 DraftKings accounts. Joseph Garrison, 18, who once bragged to a coconspirator that “fraud is...
Edwin Castro is Rightful Winner of $2.08B Powerball, Lawyer Says Video Proves
A lawyer for Edwin Castro, the winner of the biggest lottery prize of all time, says he has viewed a security video of his client purchasing the historic Powerball ticket. David De Paoli believes the footage will banish a lawsuit filed by...