3299 stories by Philip Conneller
Massachusetts Lottery Frequent-Winner Family Accused of $21M Fraud
Three Massachusetts residents have been charged with numerous counts of fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion for their roles in what prosecutors allege was a ticket-cashing scheme on a grand scale. Over eight years, Ali Jaafar and his sons, Mohamed and Yousef,...
Caesars Raises Questions For Staging QAnon ‘Great Awakening’ in Las Vegas
Caesars Entertainment’s decision to host an event organized by the controversial far-right QAnon movement has been met with consternation by some experts on terrorism and extremist ideology. The event, dubbed the “Patriot Double Down,” will be held at Caesars Forum convention space...
UK Betting Shops More Likely Located in Poorest Areas, Study Finds
Betting shops in the UK are ten times more likely to be found in deprived communities than affluent areas. That’s according to a new study by the University of Bristol that highlights the disproportion between the amenities available in poor areas and...
PA Media Horse Racing Analyst Cooked Results to Win Bets
A former horse racing data analyst at the UK’s national news agency appeared in court this week accused of fraudulently altering race results for personal gain. Jack Bentham, 24, of East Yorkshire, worked for PA Media, formerly the Press Association. As well...
Tribal Gaming Sector Suffered First Revenue Decline in a Decade in 2020
Tribal gaming revenues fell 20 percent in 2020 over the previous year because of the pandemic, or by $6.7 billion. That’s the first decline the sector has recorded in ten years, and the sharpest in 20. According to figures released Thursday by...
‘Baseball Picks’ Scammer Jailed After 15 Years on the Lam
A Florida fraudster who ran sham handicapper websites before going on the run for 15 years has been sentenced to 48 months in prison by a federal district judge in West Palm Beach. One-time Boca Raton resident Randy Craig Levine, 54, was...
Twitch Ban on Content with Gambling Links Too Little Too Late, Critics Say
Live-streaming platform Twitch has banned the sharing of gambling referral codes and links to online betting sites. The move comes amid concerns about Twitch influencers promoting unlicensed operators to their largely underage following. In a creator update last week, Twitch gave its...
China Bans Karaoke Songs That Reference Gambling
China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has announced that songs mentioning gambling will be banned at the nation’s 50,000-odd karaoke venues. The ministry said it would shortly compile a blacklist of music that will be off-limits to karaoke operators because it contains...
Greyhound Racing’s Lawsuit Challenging Florida Ban Thrown Out of Court
A gambit by the greyhound racing industry to have Florida’s ban on dog racing declared unconstitutional was rejected late last week by a federal appeals court. In October 2019, a group calling itself “Support Working Animals Inc.” sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis,...
US Citizen Laundered South American Drug Cartel Money in Guatemala Casinos
A US citizen pleaded guilty in a federal courtroom Monday to laundering money for South American drug cartels, partly through two casinos he owned in Guatemala. Xizhi Li, 48, is accused of washing at least $30 million for drugs gangs, including the...
