About Sean
Sean Chaffin is a longtime freelance writer, editor, and former high school journalism teacher. A journalism graduate of Texas A&M University, his work has appeared in numerous publications and websites. Sean has covered the gaming and poker industry for many years and writes about numerous other topics.
In addition to being a gambling expert, he's an avid true crime writer. In 2017, he was awarded the Aynesworth Award for investigative magazine journalism by the Press Club of Dallas for one of his stories.
Experience
Poker, gambling, sports betting, travel, true crime, sports
Expertise
Sean has covered the gaming and poker industry for many years and writes about online casinos and sports betting
Interests
Poker, gambling, true crime Education
Texas A&M University
Publications
Raising the Stakes: True Tales of Gambling, Wagering and Poker Faces
Awards and Nominations
Sean won the Aynesworth Award for investigative magazine journalism by the Press Club of Dallas in 2017. The Hugh Aynesworth Awards for Texas Journalism celebrate the best of the true crime reporters in Texas, US
Top Articles By Sean Chaffin
Bally’s Seeks Funds for Chicago Casino Project
The issues surrounding Chicago's first casino within the city apparently continue. The bidding process has seen multiple investigations, the plan…
Online Gaming Report: Increases Seen in PA, NJ; Numbers Dip in Michigan
Online gaming saw some growth in two of the country's major legalized iGaming states for August. Pennsylvania Casinos and New…
Las Vegas Sands Purchase of Dallas Mavericks Approved
Las Vegas Sands Becomes the Majority Owner of Dallas Mavericks The family behind the Las Vegas Sands Corp. has been…
Commercial Casino/Gaming Industry Produced Record Revenues in 2023
With the growth of legalized casino markets and sports betting, the commercial casino industry saw some major gains in 2023,…
NYC Resorts World Expansion Could Bring State $1 Billion Annually in Taxes
As the battle to win a New York City casino license continues to play out, one of the bidders is…
Atlantic City Casino Workers File Lawsuit Over Smoking Issue
With legislative efforts stalled in New Jersey, supporters of a complete smoking ban in Atlantic City casinos filed a lawsuit…
New Jersey Senator Proposes Online Gaming Tax Increase
After just over a decade of legalized online gaming in the Garden State, a New Jersey state senator is looking…
PokerStars, Fox Sports Shutting down Fox Bet; Las Vegas Casino Employees Face Federal Investigation
The combination of one of the biggest names in gaming and one of the biggest names in sports may have…
Seminoles Launching Florida Sports Betting After Supreme Court Ruling
Retail Sports Betting Returns to Florida Sports betting took another turn in Florida over the last week after the U.S.…
Florida Sports Betting Faces More Hurdles Including Possibly Facing Supreme Court
FL Sports Betting Update The Florida sports betting saga continues playing out in courtrooms and that could possibly now include…
Is Texas Getting Closer to Legalizing Casinos? Maybe, Maybe Not
Numerous states across the country have legalized casino gaming in some form over the last three decades, but Texas remains…
AGA Predicts Record NFL Betting Number This Season; NC Legislators Still Divided on Adding More Casinos
After a weekend of upsets, road wins, and a devastating injury to New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, no doubt…
Sports Betting Update: Revenues Continue to Roll Across Country
The continued growth of sports betting has produced some big revenue numbers for state coffers in recent years and this…
Mets’ NYC Casino Plan Receives Lack of Support in New Poll
Gaming companies continue unveiling their plans for a New York City casino resort as the state is expected to award…
Seminoles Receive Positive Sports Betting Ruling But Future Still Murky
With football season approaching, sports betting could soon be returning to Florida. A federal appeals court recently ruled in the…
Investment Firm Expresses Opposition to Bally’s Buyout Efforts
Bally's Corporation and the company's plans for a permanent casino in Chicago continue to make news, and investors are now…
Tropicana to Officially Close Doors in Las Vegas
Ahead of an impending demolition, Las Vegas's famed Tropicana casino resort was set to close at noon on Tuesday to…
WSOP Moves Tournament of Champions to Los Angeles
The World Series of Poker announced some changes to the annual Tournament of Champions (TOC) last week. This year's event…
Nevada Casino Receives Record Fine for Security Guards Roughing Up Guest
Working security at a casino can be a tough job – watching for unruly guests, monitoring those who may have…
Fantasy Sports Operators Expected to Leave Florida Market
Three "pick 'em" style fantasy sports operators are expected to leave the Florida market after receiving cease-and-desist letters from the…
Florida Supreme Court Rules on Seminole Sports Betting
Case Expected to Return to Lower Court The legal issues surrounding Florida online sports betting took another turn on Thursday…
MGM Considering Buyers for Two Casinos in Ohio, Massachusetts
Possible Sale of Casinos in MA and OH MGM Resorts could be looking to offload two of the company's casinos…
AGA Estimates $2.7 Billion in March Madness Betting
The annual NCAA basketball tournament tips off this week and the American Gaming Association (AGA) estimates that Americans will wager…
Bruno Mars Faces Rumors of Millions in Casino Debt
Plenty of celebrities enjoy some time gambling at casinos – from Charles Barkely, Dennis Rodman, and Michael Jordan to 50…
Bally’s Corporation Considers a Buyout Proposal
One of the country's leading casino gaming companies is now considering a corporate buyout. Bally's Corp. noted in a filing…
New Proposed Iowa Sports Betting Rule Put on Pause
A proposed sports betting rule in Iowa that would mandate casinos to keep lists of coaches, athletes, and other officials…
North Carolina Launches Sports Betting
Bettors in North Carolina can now make legal wagers just as March Madness is about to get underway. Legal sports…
Athletics Officials Release Las Vegas Stadium Details
Efforts at bringing a new stadium for the Oakland Athletics continues and officials with the franchise released details on the…
Casino Industry Continues Reaching Out to Esports Competitors & Gamers
As more Americans whip out their cell phones for the latest mobile game or battle other video gamers online via…
Mohegan Tribe To No More Manage Atlantic City Casino
Mohegan tribe to End its management of Atlantic City's Resorts Casino A major management change is coming to Atlantic City's…
Casino Crime & Incident Update: Cyber Attacks, Trafficking
Casino Related Crimes The last few weeks have seen some interesting casino-related crimes – from a major technology issue to…
A Look at Some Issues Facing New York City Casino Plans
Some Issues Facing New York City Casino Plans The quest to win a New York City casino license continues to…
Alabama House Approves Gambling Bill
Alabama House of Representatives Approves Gambling Bill Efforts at legalizing a lottery, sports betting, and allowing additional casinos around the…
Ohio Bans College Athlete Player Prop Bets
Ohio is Banning College Proposition Bets on Player Performances As numerous states have legalized sports betting across the country since…
U.S. Online Gaming Industry Started With a Bang in January
As several other states consider online casino gaming legalization, including Maryland and New York, online gaming continues to shine in…
Lebron James Joins Forces With DraftKings
The surge in sports betting legalization over the last few years has not only been good for state tax revenue,…
Online Gaming Bills Draw Objections from Workers
As more states consider legalizing online gaming, some casino workers are pushing back – arguing creating a legalized market could…
NCAA Suspends Basketball Coach for Gambling Policy Violations
The growing U.S. sports landscape has seen leagues occasionally having to crack down on athletes and coaches violating gambling policies.…
Super Bowl Betting Handle Update: Casinos Suffer Losses After Record Betting
The Kansas City Chiefs' 25-22 Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas drew record television ratings…
Winstar Casino App Reveals Gamblers’ Personal Data
Casinos have joined the ranks of companies reaching out to gamblers via mobile apps in recent years. Many of these…
AGA Predicts Record Super Bowl Betting
When the Super Bowl kicks off on Sunday between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, a record amount…
Gaming Expansion Bill Pulled in Florida
Florida Gaming Bills Pulled After Opposition from South Floria After considering two bills allowing for gaming expansion in South Florida,…
New Jersey Could Add More Casino Gambling Options
Atlantic City has long been a casino mecca, attracting gamblers from New Jersey and throughout the northeast. The state legalized…
December Brings Major Gaming Numbers in Nevada to Close Out Year
The state of Nevada closed out 2023 with some major revenue jumps in most markets, led by major gains at…
More States Consider Adding Online Gaming
As more states face 2024 and 2025 budget shortfalls, some are looking to online gaming as a potential option to…
Second Las Vegas Strike Threatened as Super Bowl Approaches
The Super Bowl is set to be held in Las Vegas on Feb. 11 and two threatened strikes in the…
Tropicana Set to Close in April as A’s Stadium Construction Approaches
Las Vegas will be losing an historic property when the Tropicana closes in April to make way for a new…
Former Casino Executive Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Allegations
A longtime casino executive pleaded guilty to violating federal anti-money laundering rules after approving of high stakes gambling involving a…
Chicago Casino Moving Hotel Plan After Discovering Construction Could Affect Water Pipes
Chicago's efforts at bringing a permanent, full-scale casino resort to the city continue to make headlines, and that now includes…
December Online Gaming Report: Closing Out 2023 With Record Numbers
Last year proved to be a massive boost to online gaming as the industry celebrated 10 years of operations in…
Pro Sports Teams And Operators Back Missouri Sports Betting
As Missouri legislators now consider proposals to bring sports betting to the state, several of the region's sports franchises and…
Maine Casino Accidentally Offers Free Play To Customers
A simple email brought on a bit of a headache for one Maine casino. Oxford Casino in Maine emails five…
Las Vegas Arena-Hotel Plans Rejected After Long Delay
Seeing a property on the Las Vegas Strip go from inception to completion can take years. The recent opening of…
Two Las Vegas Strip Casinos Facing Demolition Soon
Las Vegas is a constantly changing city with shows, restaurants, attractions, and visitors constantly coming and going. This state of…
Coney Island Casino Proposal Earns Thumbs Down from Local Leaders
A potential casino and entertainment project in New York City's Coney Island looks like a non-starter with community leaders. A…
Survey Points to Majority Support for Online Casino Gaming in New York
As New York legislators consider potentially bringing online casino gaming to the state, a recent survey shows that there is…
Oakland A’s Change Plans and Announce Deal to Build Stadium on Strip
The plans for the Oakland A's to move to Las Vegas have received a curveball. After initially purchasing land west…
Experts See Boom for Las Vegas Casino Industry with A’s Move
After the Oakland A's recently announced a move to Las Vegas, experts are also predicting a home run for many…
Louisiana Casino May Be Latest to Move on Land
Another property may soon be taking advantage of a 2018 update of Louisiana gaming law allowing the state's riverboat casinos…
Chicago Casino Not Meeting Financial Expectations
Chicago's temporary Bally's casino may not be living up to city leaders' financial estimates for the property. Former mayor Lori…
Igaming Legislation Moves Forward in the US in January
Legalized US online casinos celebrated 10 years in 2023 and legislators in a few states are considering adding online gaming…
Final Briefs in Seminole Sports Betting Battle Filed
The seemingly never-ending Florida sports betting court battles may possibly be coming to a conclusion at least at the state…
Delaware Online Gaming Operator Officially Changes
The online gaming scene in Delaware has seen some major changes with the start of the new year. The state…
Concord Casino Owner’s License Suspended, Property to Close
Concord Casino Owner's License Suspended A New Hampshire casino owner possibly facing criminal charges lost his gaming license this week…
Online Gaming Report: Big Jumps Seen in November Revenue Numbers
Online gaming continues to grow in the country's major legalized states including some serious growth in November. That included a…
Group Hopes for Casino on Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks
New Casino in the Works in Missouri? In other casino news, a popular Missouri travel destination may become home to…
New Live! Casino Breaks Ground in Louisiana
Just a few months after purchasing Diamond Jack's casino in Bossier City, Louisiana, The Cordish Companies officially broke ground on…
Elite Casino Donates 500,000 to The Swarm at University of Iowa
Name, image, and likeness, known as NIL, has become quite the hot topic in college sports the last few years.…
Feds Break Up Lottery Seven-Figure Scam
Federal authorities announced indictments of seven people alleged to be involved in a lottery scam that stretched across the U.S.…
Dallas Leaders Offer Visions for Mark Cuban Casino Arena
Texas Casino-Arena Entertainment District Plan Casinos may be illegal in Texas, but Mark Cuban's plans for a gaming resort to…
Chicago Casino Bidding Process Faces Scrutiny
After Bally's recently opened a temporary casino in Chicago and with plans for an even larger, billion dollar-plus gambling location…
AGA Report Details Third-Quarter Commercial Gaming Revenue Growth
The American Gaming Association (AGA) released the group's quarterly gaming revenue report in mid-November, revealing growing numbers for the U.S.…
Sands Gaming Company Looks to Buy Majority Share of Dallas Mavericks; NYC Considerings Casino Zoning
Mark Cuban Selling the Majority Stake of the Mavs Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has long dreamed of building a…
Beau Rivage Buffet Revamp Exemplifies Restaurants’ Importance for Casinos; Virginia Casino Plans Revived in Different City
Beau Rivage Launches New Buffet As most casino goers probably know, casinos have enhanced and upgraded culinary offerings in recent…
Strike Show Major Impact on Detroit Casino Revenue
As the Detroit casino worker strike reaches over a month, recent revenue numbers for the city's three properties show the…
Las Vegas Casino Workers Reach Deal to Avoid Strike
With the Las Vegas Grand Prix set for this weekend facing a strike from 35,000 workers, Las Vegas's three largest…
Historic Las Vegas Casino Property Goes Up in Flames
New Town Tavern Destroyed in Fire Las Vegas is home to many historic casinos with some major names like Caesars…
Richmond Voters Reject Casino Plan
Despite a growing casino industry in Virginia and more than $10 million spent in the push to Tuesday's election, Richmond…
Mets Unveil NYC Casino Plans
Jackeying continues among gaming companies and developers to land a potential casino license in New York City. Mets owner Steve…
Nevada Sees Strong Gaming Number, But Possible Strike Looms
The state of Nevada saw some major gaming revenue numbers in September despite some downward trends in the U.S. economy.…
Possible Las Vegas Casino Strike Looms
Las Vegas Possibly Facing Casino Workers' Strike With several major events in the works in the coming weeks, Las Vegas…
PokerStars Returns to US With Major Las Vegas Plans for North American Poker Tour
The Return of the North American Poker Tour PokerStars runs live tournament events all around the world, but has been…
U.S. Online Gaming Report: Big Numbers Continue in Key States
Online gaming and sports betting just seems to continue growing in popularity among American gamblers. Legalized online gaming states reported…
Online Gaming Report: Legal Markets Rack Up Massive Numbers
Online gaming continues to post massive revenue numbers in legalized American markets. That included records in Michigan and Connecticut in…
Tribal Casinos Unveil New Properties in Nebraska and Oklahoma
The pandemic closure of the casino industry may start to seem like a long way off and some gaming corporations…
New Deals Clears Way for Bally’s Chicago Casino
A casino heading to the Windy City is getting closer after Bally's reached a deal with the Chicago Tribune's parent…
Online Gaming Report: Revenues Continue to Grow in July 2023
Online gaming continues to boom among legal jurisdictions and that continued in July. Pennsylvania and New Jersey reported continued iGaming…
Hard Rock Outlines Major Changes for Mirage, Rio Getting a Facelift Too
The Mirage became one of Las Vegas' first megaresorts when casino impresario Steve Wynn unveiled the property in 1989. The…
September Online Gaming Report: PA Sets Another Record; NJ, MI Also See Strong Numbers
The major U.S. regulated online gaming states recently released revenue numbers for September and the numbers showed some nice increases…
New Jersey Stops Playboy Casino Chip Program; WSOP Main Event Reaches New Record
Have any Playboy casino chips lying around? Don't look to cash those in any time soon. The New Jersey Division…
DraftKings Takes Over as Top U.S. Online Gaming Operator; Company Sees Bump in Stock Outlook
DraftKings has seen major growth since launching in 2012, when the company began offering Americans the chance to play daily…
NY Gaming Commission Hacked; Former Vegas Police Officer Gets Prison Time for Armed Robberies
After MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, and Gateway Casinos in Canada were victimized by cyber attacks recently, New York's gaming regulator…
AGA Reports Casino Industry a Massive Boost to Economy
The U.S. gaming industry accounts for a $328.6 billion impact on the country, according to a new study released this…
New Las Vegas Casino Planned at Fashion Show Mall; Fontainebleau Also Adds to Strip, Details Unveiled
A new casino property may be in the works on the Las Vegas Strip. At a time when there may…
Bally’s Unveils Chicago Temporary Casino; Trespassing Player Awarded $2 Million
After years of working toward bringing a casino resort to Chicago, city officials officially welcomed the opening of a new…
Record Spending in Richmond Casino Campaign; Casino Exec Scandal Could Affect NYC Casino Race
A casino referendum set for Nov. 7 in Richmond, Virginia, is drawing plenty of campaign cash in the city of…
MGM Continues Working Through Cybersecurity Breach
After more than a week of service interruptions, MGM Resorts continued dealing with the results of a major cybersecurity issue…
Feds Arrest Man Sought for UIGEA-Related Crimes Dating Back Decade-Plus; MGM Faces Cybersecurity Attack
Most online poker players and gamblers are familiar with Black Friday, a 2011 crackdown by the federal government on online…
Casino Industry Testing ‘Ticket in, Bonus Out’ Technology; New Casino Coming to Illinois
The act of feeding in bills or credit vouchers into a slot machine is nothing new for most gamblers. Slot…
North Carolina Considers Adding Casinos, Possibly Online Gaming; Rockingham County Location Draws Protests
After recent expansion of the Virginia casino market, North Carolina legislators are considering changing state law to allow for more…
New York Casino Bidding Continues Creating Controversy; Nebraska Allows Table Games
As state regulators continue considering bids for a New York City casino, the issue continues attracting controversy in the Empire…
California Considers Bill Pitting Tribal Casinos Against Card Rooms
California has quite a mixed bag of legalized gaming options. Much of that was on display last year when the…
State by State: A Look at Proposed Online Gaming, Sports Betting Legislation
Not only have a growing number of states legalized sports wagering, but some are also considering at least some kind…
Gaming Legislation Updates: Texas Nixes Casinos, Missouri Comes Up Short on Sports Wagering
Could sports betting and gambling be coming to the Lone Star State? The answer to that question looks to be…
New York Governor May Be Considering New Seneca Casino in Rochester
As numerous gaming entities and other corporations continue jockeying for possible New York City casino opportunities, it appears the Empire…
NY Mets Casino Proposal Faces Obstacles, Jay-Z Touts Own Times Square Plan
The potential for new casinos in New York City continues to take shape with the team behind one proposal receiving…
World Series of Poker Kicks Off Next Week: Preview & Players to Watch
(Photo: PokerGO) The bracelet-hunting action returns to Las Vegas beginning next week with the World World Series of Poker set…
Jackpot Denied – ‘Error’ Leaves New Mexico Slot Player Missing Out on $500K Jackpot
Massive jackpots often make headlines with readers soaking up news of a life-changing slot machine score. Less common are the…
Aristocrat Unveils New NFL-Themed Slot Machines
As NFL teams enter training camps and the new season is just a bit over a month away, the league…
Woman Charged With Stealing $700K from Casino; Card Counter Sues Colorado Property for $3 Million
Most players visiting a casino dream of hitting a major score. A six-figure jackpot at the slots would certainly make…
Third Louisiana Casino Moving to Land-Based Facility; New Casino Coming to New Hampshire
Could a move by a southern Louisiana Casino signal a gaming trend in the state? The Treasure Chest in Kinder…
Online Gaming Report: Mixed Reports Show Nice Numbers in PA & NJ, Drop in Michigan
The month of May produced some mixed results for live and online gaming revenue in the largest legalized markets. Pennsylvania…
Lawsuit Filed Against Las Vegas Casino Following Shooting Scare; New Arizona Casino Debuts
Two women are suing the New York-New York casino after a false active shooter incident led to a stampede at…
New Jersey Reauthorizing Online Gaming; New Casino Considered in Iowa
New Jersey lawmakers are undergoing the process of reauthorizing online gaming in the state and the most recent plan calls…
Gaming Industry Continues Catering to Esports Fans and Players
As esports and competitive gaming continue to grow, the casino industry has taken notice and gaming companies are looking to…
MGM Resorts Inks Major Hotel Licensing Deal With Marriott
MGM Resorts and Marriott International announced a new 20-year licensing agreement on Monday that includes the creation of MGM Collection…
Turning Stone Announces Major Expansion Project; NYC Casino Still Up for Grabs
While much of the recent casino news around New York has focused on a casino coming to New York City,…
Agreement Reached in Steve Wynn/Nevada Case; Caesars Reports Quarterly Gains
One of the men who paved the way for the modern Las Vegas megaresort has been banned from doing business…
Arizona Tribe Loses Mobile Sports Betting License; New Casino in Virginia Detailed
Legalized sports betting has swept across the country in recent years with states legalizing the practice and casinos jumping in…
Rhode Island Legalizes Online Casino Gaming; Bally’s Remains Only Operator, Adds New Partnership
Rhode Island legislators recently approved online casino wagering and poker, becoming the first state to do so this year. The…
