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Reporter: 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.

Areas of Expertise

3661 stories by Philip Conneller

Riverside Resort & Casino, Loughlin, security, Nevada Gaming Control Board

Riverside Resort Laughlin Faces Big Penalty for Alleged Security Mistreatment

Riverside Resort & Casino in Laughlin, Nev., could be on the hook for $500K after it failed to inform regulators about some serious behavior by its security staff, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. On Thursday, the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) will deliberate...

Philip Conneller March 20, 2024
Bloomberry, Global Gaming Asset Management, GGAM, Enrique Razon

Bloomberry Settles Decade-Old Contract Spat for $300M

A longstanding court battle between the Philippines’ Bloomberry Resorts Group and Las Vegas-based Global Gaming Asset Management (GGAM) was settled Tuesday after more than a decade of bad blood. Bloomberry announced in a regulatory filing Tuesday it would buy Global Gaming’s 921.2...

Philip Conneller March 20, 2024
Kelvin, 7UP baccarat, Marina Bay Sands, cheating, Chai Hee Keong, Wang Yu and Hung Yu-Wen

Marina Bay Sands Cheaters May Have Cracked Baccarat Card Counting

A Malaysian man has pleaded guilty to being part of a gang that cheated the Marina Bay Sands out of S$433,730 (US$315k) at baccarat using a “secret formula” and hidden recording devices. Chai Hee Keong, 46, is the third member of the...

Philip Conneller March 19, 2024
Iowa college betting, scandal, Evan Schuster, basketball

Guilty Plea Signals End to Iowa’s College Betting Probe

A University of Iowa men's basketball student manager pleaded guilty to underage gambling on Monday. Evan Schuster agreed to pay a $645 fine as part of a plea agreement, which led to a charge of records tampering being dropped. That charge related...

Philip Conneller March 19, 2024
Bill Hornbuckle, MGM Resorts, Macau, foreigner-only, gaming zones

MGM Resorts Says Macau’s Foreigner-Only Gaming Zone Plan Was a Clunker

Efforts to introduce foreigner-only gaming zones at Macau casinos have fallen flat with international gamblers, according to MGM Resorts CEO and president Bill Hornbuckle. As first reported by Inside Asian Gaming, Hornbuckle said the experiment, which was encouraged by Macau’s government in...

Philip Conneller March 18, 2024

China Condemns Overseas Gambling as Breach of National Laws

The Chinese government has warned its citizens that gambling in casinos outside of China is a violation of Chinese law. The Chinese embassy in Singapore on Monday "solemnly reminded" Chinese nationals in the city-state that they should steer clear of gambling while...

Philip Conneller March 18, 2024
Watauga poker club, Joe Vongkaysone, Fort Worth

Watauga Poker Club Owner to Plead Guilty to ‘Organized Crime’ in Texas

The owner of the Watauga Social Lounge Poker Club in Fort Worth, Texas will plead guilty to one count of engaging in organized criminal activity and another of gambling promotion, PokerNews reports. A third charge against Joe Vongkaysone -- keeping a gambling...

Philip Conneller March 18, 2024
Iditarod, Iditarod betting, Dallas Deavey, Alaska, dog deaths

Iditarod Husky Deaths Renew Calls for Ban on Alaska’s Iconic Iditarod Race

A recent spate of dog deaths during Alaska’s grueling Iditarod mushing race has renewed calls to prohibit the event. The Iditarod is one of the few opportunities for legal gambling in Alaska. The state allows charitable sweepstakes on certain culturally traditional games,...

Philip Conneller March 17, 2024
Raymond Chan, LA deputy mayor, Jose Huizar, Casino Loyale

Ex L.A. Deputy Mayor Back on Trial in ‘Casino Loyale’ Corruption Case

The trial of former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan on charges of racketeering, bribery, and fraud was underway this week in a federal court. It’s the second time federal prosecutors have attempted to try Chan for his alleged role in a...

Philip Conneller March 15, 2024
Allwyn, UKGC, UK National Lottery, Sberbank, VTB

New UK National Lottery Operator Fields Fresh Queries on Russia Ties

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) failed to disclose to lawmakers that Allwyn, its chosen bidder for the £80 billion (US$100 billion) UK National Lottery contract, had outstanding loans from Russian state-owned banks, The Guardian reports. Czech company Allwyn took over the reins of...

Philip Conneller March 14, 2024