Areas of Expertise
3661 stories by Philip Conneller
RICO Suit Vs. Missouri Gray Market Gaming Outfit Won’t Stick, Says Judge
A RICO case brought against a gray-market gaming machine company in Missouri failed because losing money at gambling can be avoided by just “not playing,” a federal judge has determined. U.S. District Judge Brian Wimes dismissed the case against Torch Electronics last...
Gambling Addiction ‘Doesn’t Justify’ $300K Theft by Arkansas Grandma Bank Teller
A bank teller who stole $300k from the Premier Bank of Arkansas (PBA) was told her gambling addiction and mental health problems only partially excused her actions. She was sentenced to one year and a day in federal prison, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette...
LVS Casino Petition Sees Florida Woman Charged with Election Fraud
An Ocala, Fla. woman has been arrested and charged with election fraud relating to the 2021 Las Vegas Sands Corp ballot campaign to allow limited casino gaming in the state. Maria Guadalupe Bautista, 24, is facing 16 counts of fraudulent use of...
Mashpee Resurrects Embattled First Light Casino Project
Massachusetts’ Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has said it's “ready to proceed” with an interim economic development project. The Tribe believes it will provide a “financially solid pathway” to realizing its derailed First Light Casino. In a letter to the City Council of Taunton,...
Former Wells Fargo Advisor Who Stole $626K for Gambling Imprisoned
A former Wells Fargo investment advisor from Union County, N.J., has been sentenced to three years and six months in prison after admitting to bilking five clients out of $626,478. Mario E. Rivero Jr., 39, used the money for casino gambling and...
Harvey’s Casino Bombing Revisited in ‘Bringing Down the House’ Documentary
A new documentary is examining a decades-old bombing plot. On Aug. 27, 1980, two men disguised as photocopier installers delivered a booby-trapped bomb to Harvey’s Resort Hotel Stateline, Nev., on the shore of Lake Tahoe. The plotters told the FBI that the...
Galaxy Macau Flooded with Fake Chips, Two Arrested
Authorities in Macau have arrested two Chinese nationals who are suspected of flooding Galaxy Macau Casino with bogus chips. At least six others are being sought in the scam, which is believed to have cost the casino at least HK$5.6 million (US$700K) on...
Paqueta Gambling Probe Sinks £80M Man City Deal
English Premier League champion Manchester City has backed out of a reported £80 million deal to sign West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta, as reported by Sky News. It seems City chiefs balked after hearing the 25-year-old Brazilian was facing a Football Association...
Ex-Indiana Lawmaker in Casino Dark Money Case Claims Federal Set Up
A former Indiana state senator imprisoned in August 2022 for accepting illegal campaign donations from a casino company executive claims he was stitched up by federal prosecutors. He's also blaming his lawyer for putting him in the slammer, IndyStar reports. Republican Brent...
Tropical Storm Hilary Fears Prove Overblown in Las Vegas
The tropical storm formerly known as Hurricane Hilary may be wreaking havoc in Southern California, where it has caused power cuts and “life-threatening” flash floods. But it left Las Vegas largely unscathed despite warnings Sunday of possible flooding. Thankfully, Gov. Joe Lombardo’s...