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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

4302 stories by Philip Conneller

Hacker Behind Curaçao ‘Casino Secrets’ Leak Claims Victory in MGA Court Battle
September 27, 2026

Hacker Behind Curaçao ‘Casino Secrets’ Leak Claims Victory in MGA Court Battle

A German activist and hacker who breached the systems of the gaming authorities of Malta and Curaçao said Friday (September 25) that a new court judgment allows her to use documents she obtained from the...

Written by Philip Conneller
$4.6M Child Modeling Fraudster Blew Stolen Cash on Gambling, Taylor Swift Tickets
September 26, 2026

$4.6M Child Modeling Fraudster Blew Stolen Cash on Gambling, Taylor Swift Tickets

A Michigan photographer who admitted swindling a family out of more than $4.6 million in a bogus child-modeling scheme and spending “significant sums” gambling has been sentenced to five years in federal prison. Convicted fraudster...

Written by Philip Conneller
$320M Powerball Hopeful John Cheeks Still Fighting for Website Error Jackpot
September 25, 2026

$320M Powerball Hopeful John Cheeks Still Fighting for Website Error Jackpot

A Washington, D.C., man who claims he was denied a $320 million Powerball jackpot after his numbers came up on the lottery’s website is still fighting for compensation nearly four years later. Cheeks’s ticket appeared...

Written by Philip Conneller
Portland Woman Accused of Killing Boyfriend Over $3,200 Lottery Win
September 24, 2026

Portland Woman Accused of Killing Boyfriend Over $3,200 Lottery Win

A Portland woman is accused of running over and killing her boyfriend after a dispute over his $3,200 lottery win escalated in an apartment parking lot. Mary Ann McKinzy, 55, is accused of running over...

Written by Philip Conneller
Florida Woman Behind $24M Illegal Gambling Op Seeks to Gut RICO Case
September 24, 2026

Florida Woman Behind $24M Illegal Gambling Op Seeks to Gut RICO Case

The owner of a Florida slots parlor accused of operating a $24 million illegal gambling enterprise is asking a judge to throw out the most serious charges against her, arguing prosecutors have dressed up a...

Written by Philip Conneller
Montana Lottery’s Intralot Deal Faces Scrutiny Over Withheld Emails
September 24, 2026

Montana Lottery’s Intralot Deal Faces Scrutiny Over Withheld Emails

Montana lawmakers are questioning why the state’s lottery director, Bob Brown, is refusing to give auditors access to some emails linked to a lucrative contract with gambling technology supplier Intralot, The Independent Record reports. A...

Written by Philip Conneller
$167M Powerball Winner Arrested for Fifth Time Since Hitting Jackpot
September 23, 2026

$167M Powerball Winner Arrested for Fifth Time Since Hitting Jackpot

A Kentucky man who won a life-changing $167.3 million Powerball jackpot last year has failed to turn his life around. James Farthing, above, pictured in one of a handful of mugshots taken since he won...

Written by Philip Conneller
Churchill Downs, NYRA Fight ‘Rigged’ Horse Betting Pools RICO Lawsuit
September 23, 2026

Churchill Downs, NYRA Fight ‘Rigged’ Horse Betting Pools RICO Lawsuit

Some of the biggest names in US horse racing are fighting a lawsuit that accuses them of giving sophisticated computer-assisted gamblers an unfair advantage over ordinary bettors in supposedly neutral pari-mutuel pools. Churchill Downs during...

Written by Philip Conneller
Trump-Linked Firm Says Ex-CFO Gambled $29M on Slots at Hard Rock
September 23, 2026

Trump-Linked Firm Says Ex-CFO Gambled $29M on Slots at Hard Rock

A former executive at a social media firm with close ties to President Donald Trump spent 200 days gambling at a South Florida Hard Rock casino in a single year, allegedly feeding $29 million of...

Written by Philip Conneller
Curaçao Hacker Threatens to Expose Owners Behind Hundreds of Offshore Casinos
September 22, 2026

Curaçao Hacker Threatens to Expose Owners Behind Hundreds of Offshore Casinos

A cyberattack disclosed last week by the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) was carried out by a self-proclaimed “white hat” hacker who previously breached the Malta Gaming Authority’s (MGA) systems. German hacker and cybersecurity researcher Lilith...

Written by Philip Conneller