Areas of Expertise
3704 stories by Philip Conneller
Fun88: Thai Police Bust Gambling Site Linked to Serial Poisoner
Thai police have detained 14 people linked to an online gambling site allegedly used by the suspected female serial killer Sararat “Am” Rangsiwuthaporn. Sararat, 36, who was four months pregnant when she was arrested in Bangkok in April, is accused of murdering...
Tribal Casinos Also Targeted in Spate of ‘Imposter’ Fraud
Tribal gaming operators have been told to look out for a wave of imposter scams targeting casinos in the U.S. In the notice sent to the tribal gaming industry this week, the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) warned operators and regulators to...
MGM Denies Profiting from LeoVegas ‘Illegal’ Japan Gambling Ops
MGM Resorts has hit back against an accusation that it may have profited from illegal online gambling in Japan via its acquisition of LeoVegas. In April, MGM won the first Japanese casino license in partnership with the city of Osaka, and will...
Hard Rock Tampa: ISIS Acolyte Who Planned Mass Shooting Gets 18 Years
Florida-based ISIS supporter Muhammed Momtaz Al-Azhari wanted to carry out a mass shooting in Tampa, and his list of possible targets in the city included the Seminole Hard Rock Casino, according to prosecutors. On Thursday, he was sentenced to 18 years in...
Las Vegas Rogue Cop ‘Plotted Red Rock Robbery with Brother’
Caleb Rogers, the Las Vegas Metro Police officer on trial for armed robbery, planned his first casino heist with his younger brother, a federal court has heard. That was according to Josiah Rogers who testified against his brother for several hours Thursday...
Kansas City Chiefs ‘Superfan’ Robbed Banks, Laundered Cash, Feds Say
A Kansas City Chiefs “super fan” who goes by the name @ChiefsAholic and attends games dressed as a wolf has been arrested in connection with a string of bank robberies. Xaviar Michael Babudar, 28, is suspected of hitting banks across the Midwest,...
Alleged College Baseball Bettor was Clumsy, Reckless, Reports Claim
The youth league baseball coach at the center of the University of Alabama insider betting scandal stuck out like a sore thumb when he tried to bet over 100K in cash on the Crimson Tide to lose to LSU. That’s according to...
Las Vegas ‘Rogue Cop’ Goes on Trial for Armed Casino Robberies
The trial of Las Vegas police officer Caleb Rogers, accused of robbing three casinos with his department-issued revolver, kicks off in a federal court Monday. Prosecutors say Rogers stole nearly $165K during the series of heists at the Red Rock, the Aliante, and...
Maine’s Chief Gambling Regulator Back at Work After ‘Offensive’ Tweets
Maine’s chief gambling regulator returned to work Monday after serving a weeklong suspension without pay. The penalty was for tweeting out a sexist slur and a dubious comment about a white nationalist march. Milton Champion’s social media antics were found to have...
Alleged Circa Imposter Charged with Similar Con at Eureka Mesquite
A Las Vegas man arrested on June 18 for bilking Circa out of $1.17 million, allegedly by pretending to be one of the casino’s owners, may have attempted similarly audacious scams at other Nevada casinos. Prior to the Circa heist, Erik Gutierrez...