Areas of Expertise
3071 stories by Philip Conneller
Magic Palace Casino Montreal Shut Down, Denies Links to Sinaloa Cartel
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC) has closed down the Magic Palace Montreal and suspended its gaming license as a result of an ongoing money laundering investigation. The casino, based in the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, across the river from Montreal, Canada, says it...
UK’s 888 is Rebranding Itself as ‘Evoke’ – Analysis
UK online gambling giant 888 is changing its name to “Evoke.” CEO Per Widerström said Tuesday. The renaming was “the beginning of an exciting new dawn” for the company, which has lately been beset by management upheaval and regulatory investigations, and has...
NBA Probing Iffy Betting Patterns on Raptors’ Jontay Porter
The NBA says it's investigating suspicious betting patterns surrounding Toronto Raptors’ basketball player Jontay Porter. It’s believed the investigation is focusing on two games involving Porter. The first was the January 26 game against the LA Clippers, which the Raptors lost, 127-107....
Chicago Sweepstakes Operator Sees Extortion Charges Dropped After Mistrial
Federal Prosecutors in Chicago dropped extortion charges against two reputedly mobbed-up figures on Monday following a tumultuous mistrial earlier this month, as first reported by The Chicago Tribune. Sweepstakes operator Gene “Gino” Cassano, 55, and his associate Gioacchino “Jack” Galione, 47, were...
Stronach Group Threat to Close Down Santa Anita Blows Up in its Face
Last week, the owner of Southern California’s Santa Anita Racetrack threatened to close the famous venue if the state Horse Racing Board (CHRB) voted to grant racing dates for a meeting in Northern California. On Friday, the CHRB went ahead and approved...
Family of San Bernardino Man Shot by Police at Gambling Den Gets $4M
The family of a Black man shot to death by police outside an illegal online gambling den in San Bernardino, Calif., in July 2022 has received a $4 million settlement from the city, The San Bernardino Sun reports. Rob Marquise Adams, 23,...
Some 186 DraftKings Employees Seek Transition to Fanatics, Report Claims
Since sportswear retailer Fanatics branched out into sports betting in 2021, 186 DraftKings employees have applied to jump ship and join new the Fanatics sportsbook. That’s according to a filing this week to a federal court in Boston by lawyers for Michael...
Gambling Addict Judge in New York State Shown Leniency After Embezzlement
A former judge in Cayuga County, New York State, has been sentenced to probation after she admitted to dipping her fingers into court coffers. June Shepardson is a former town judge in Moravia, population 1,270, in New York’s Finger Lakes region. She was suspended...
USC Football Player Turned Drug, Gambling Crime Lord Released Early
Owen Hanson, the former USC football player who swapped college athletics for notoriety as an online gambling and drug-trafficking kingpin, was released early from a federal prison this week. Hanson was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison in late 2017 after...
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...