Reporter:
Ed Silverstein is a senior reporter covering gambling law and crime news for Casino.org. Ed is an award-winning journalist with credits ranging from the Associated Press to American Lawyer Media. Ed joined the Casino.org news team in 2019 after decades of experience in legal reporting.
His past reporting and editing assignments include Cowles Business Media, Columbia University Press, the Connecticut Post, and Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc. Besides the law and its application to the gaming industry, Ed’s areas of expertise span business, politics, education, and state and local government.
Ed holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut and master’s degrees from Harvard and Yale. His professional awards include recognition from the New England Press Association and New England AP News Executives.
Ed currently resides in Connecticut, where he enjoys photography and bowling in his spare time.
Contact Ed at [email protected].
Areas of Expertise
2385 stories by Ed Silverstein
Iowa Casino Visitor Allegedly Spit, Kicked, Threatened Emergency Personnel
An Iowa woman was arrested Sunday afternoon after she allegedly spit at both a police officer and an EMT while shouting profanities and making threats at a local gaming property hotel. Missy Smith, 31, of East Moline, Iowa, also allegedly kicked an...
Las Vegas New Year’s Eve Shooter Reportedly Facing 74 Charges
The man who allegedly fired numerous bullets near the Las Vegas Strip on Sunday morning has been charged with 74 counts. Jon Roger Letzkus, 45, is facing 72 charges of discharging a gun within a structure or vehicle within a prohibited area,...
Las Vegas MGM Hotel Is Site of Multiple Gunshots – Report
Between 30 and 40 shots were fired Sunday morning, possibly from a balcony at the MGM Signature Towers in Las Vegas, according to unconfirmed witness accounts. No one appeared to have suffered injuries from the gunfire at the off-Strip property. A person...
Casino Crime Round Up: San Jose Gambling, Prostitution Raid Arrests
Five suspects were apprehended after a North San Jose, Calif., raid of an illicit gambling operation this week. Authorities also seized 33 guns, about 20K in cash, 150K rounds of ammo, and some 500 pounds of suspected marijuana during Wednesday’s court-ordered raid....
New Hampshire Casino Owner Must Sell Gaming Property, License Held
The embattled owner of New Hampshire’s Concord Casino was ordered by state officials Wednesday to sell the operation following fraud allegations. The charitable casino further was ordered to close on Monday and must not be reopened for at least six months under...
Casino Crime Round Up: Solar Power Facility Arsonist Sentenced
The man who rammed his car into a Nevada solar power facility before setting a blaze was sentenced this week to at least two years in prison. Mohammed Mesmarian, 35, formerly of Colorado, has spent a year in custody already, so his...
California’s Golden Acorn Casino Site Of Missing Couple’s Bodies
Two lifeless bodies were discovered in a parked vehicle at California's Golden Acorn Casino this week. The estranged husband and wife apparently died in a murder-suicide. Melissa Soto, 45, and Johnny Soto, 52, both of San Ysidro, Calif., were found deceased in...
Strat Hotel Guests Allegedly Kidnapped, Trafficked Juvenile Girl
A man and a woman staying at The Strat hotel this month were scheduled to appear in Las Vegas court Wednesday on sex trafficking charges.?They allegedly kidnapped and trafficked a teenaged girl over four days. The defendants, Mark Johnson, 23, and Donnesha...
Pennsylvania’s Hollywood Casino Reopens After Christmas Closure
Pennsylvania’s Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course was temporarily shuttered for about 17 hours starting on Sunday night because of a technical glitch. It began shortly before 7:15 p.m. on Christmas Eve, when visitors were asked to leave the gaming property....
Two Men Charged With Assault After New England Patriots Fan Dies
Two Rhode Island residents have been charged after September’s death of a New England Patriots fan during a game, according to news reports published on Thursday. The death was ruled a homicide. The suspects, John Vieira, 59, and Justin Mitchell, 39, both...