Areas of Expertise
3205 stories by Philip Conneller
Fugitive Philippine Mayor in Trafficking, Spying Storm Arrested in Indonesia
The fugitive mayor of a small town in the Philippines who fled the country in July amid accusations of spying and links to criminal syndicates has been detained in Indonesia. Guo was the Mayor of Bamban, a sleepy town in Tarlac province...
Lawsuit Claims Attorney Stole $1.8M from Client’s Trust Fund, Gambled Money Away at Hard Rock Tampa
A Florida lawyer ransacked a client’s trust account and blew $1.8 million of it gambling at the Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, according to a civil lawsuit filed by the real beneficiaries. Jason Penrod is the owner of Family Elder Law, which...
Star Entertainment in Disarray, Begs for Bailout
Embattled Australian casino operator Star Entertainment is desperately seeking a short-term cash injection to stave off financial difficulties that are threatening the operation of its AU$3.6B Queen's Wharf entertainment precinct in Brisbane, which opened only last week. The company spent the weekend...
South Korean Starlet’s Mom Charged with Running Illegal Gambling Empire
The mother of South Korean actress Han So-hee has been arrested for allegedly running a network of illegal gambling dens that spanned several cities in the East Asian nation, police said Tuesday. Han’s mother, identified by authorities only as a woman in...
Star Entertainment Kicked Off ASX Over Missing Financial Results
Australia’s embattled Star Entertainment Group was suspended from the ASX, the country’s stock exchange, on Monday for failing to file its financial results. Star is the largest publicly traded casino operator in Australia. The company told shareholders on Friday that it would...
Seized Illegal Alabama Gaming Machines Vanish, Resurface in New Bingo Hall
Authorities in Alabama were surprised when illegal electronic bingo machines impounded during raids on a bingo hall in the city of Selma went missing. They were even more surprised when the machines turned up at a different gaming venue in a different...
California Legislature Passes Bill to Let Tribes Sue Cardrooms
The California legislature sent a bill to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk Saturday that will allow tribal casino operators a one-off chance to sue the state’s 84 licensed cardrooms. The tribes claim the card clubs offer games that violate their own exclusivity on...
Singapore High Roller Denies Lying About $30M Debt
A high-rolling Singaporean has denied “lying” in court about an AU$40 million line of credit at the Star Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. The casino is suing Dr. Yew Choy Wong for an AU$43 million (US$30 million) gambling debt, which it says...
Fugitive Philippine Mayor Headed to Lawless Drug Region, Authorities Say
The fugitive former mayor of a small town in the Philippines accused of having links to human trafficking via the online gambling industry is likely headed for the notorious Golden Triangle region, authorities have said. Alice Leal Guo fled the Philippines by...
Macau Judge and Casino Critic Likely to be Gambling Hub’s Next Leader
Macau’s former top judge has announced his intention to run for the gambling hub’s highest leadership position -- chief executive -- and he fired a warning shot toward the casino industry on Wednesday. Sam Hou Fai, 62, stepped down as president of...