Ian St. Clair

Content Lead

Ian St. Clair is a lover of words, vocal or written. Naturally, that makes Ian a great communicator and leader. Ian is curious and driven, always looking to improve, and always welcomes a challenge. Ian is authentic, possesses high-level emotional intelligence, and knows just when to crack a joke. A University of Northern Colorado graduate, Ian is now an expert in the US online gambling field, where he's been for over 5 years. Ian also has over a decade of journalism experience covering college and professional athletics, as well as the symphony and theater. Ian's a lover of history, news, and bacon. Oh, and tacos.

PlayUSA Specialties

Content and marketing strategy, news and evergreen editing, fact-checking, writer cultivation, SEO and marketing collaboration

Industry Expertise

Ian has worked in the gambling industry since early 2020, prior to Colorado's launch of sports betting. He's managed sites for some of the largest online gambling markets in North America and now manages PlayUSA and GamingToday.

Editorial Background

Ian has been a writer in some form or fashion since the early 2000s, when he started as a sportswriter covering the Denver Broncos. He has close to 10 years in newspapers, and now over a decade of experience in Internet marketing and SEO.

Awards & Achievements

Ian has won numerous national, regional, and local awards for his newspaper writing. Ian's series on a local Cheyenne wrestler who broke his neck and later died won multiple awards, including first place at the Associated Press Sports Editors. He also won a first-place award for a feature on actors along the Front Range who portrayed Scrooge in plays from Cheyenne to Denver.

Posts by Ian St. Clair

List of Top 10 Online Casinos for Real Money in July 2026

Finding the best real money online casino in 2026 takes more than comparing welcome bonuses.

Ian St. Clair July 16, 2026

Online Casino WV: Top Legal Casino Apps and Gambling Sites in West Virginia (2026)

West Virginia is one of only a handful of US states with legal real-money online casinos. Live since July 2020, the Mountain State now hosts 10 licensed online casino sites, all regulated by the West Virginia Lottery Commission.

Ian St. Clair July 10, 2026

PA Online Casinos: Top Legal Casino Apps and Gambling Sites in Pennsylvania (2026)

Online casinos have been live since the 2017 Expanded Gaming Act, and the Keystone State now hosts 21 licensed PA online casino sites, all regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB).

Ian St. Clair July 10, 2026

Industry audit shows huge gap between celebrity endorsement spending compared to RG marketing from US gaming operators.

Audit Says Celebrity Gambling Deals Far Outpace Responsible Gambling Spending in US

An industry audit says US gambling operators spent eight times more on celebrity deals in 2025 than on responsible gambling efforts

Ian St. Clair July 9, 2026

New Mexico considering data sharing on casino winnings for SNAP compliance.

New Mexico Eyes Slot-machine Data Sharing to Tighten SNAP Compliance

New Mexico officials are working on a data-sharing plan to identify SNAP recipients with substantial slot machine winnings

Ian St. Clair July 9, 2026

Carl Icahn is reportedly exploring a late bid for Caesars Entertainment.

Icahn Weighs Late Caesars Bid as Fertitta Deal Nears Deadline

Carl Icahn is reportedly exploring a late bid for Caesars, but Tilman Fertitta’s bid appears to remain the board’s preferred path

Ian St. Clair July 9, 2026

View Archive

Fact-checked articles

Our guide to the best social casinos in the US

Best Free US Social Casinos for Winning Real-Money Prizes

Best social casinos 2026: Top US sweepstakes casino sites with bonuses, real prizes, and free play. Ranked lists & reviews.

Charlon Muscat July 16, 2026

Best Real Money Slots Online for July 2026

Find the best slots to play online for real money in the US. This top real-money slots guide includes demos, slot providers, and RTP tips.

Chance Solem-Pfeifer July 15, 2026

500+ free slots with no download required

Play Free Slots – Browse 560+ Online Slot Games

Find the best free slots at US sweepstakes casinos and online casino sites. Play free demos. No registration or download required.

Cole Rush July 15, 2026

Crown Coins Casino Review & Promo Code

My Crown Coins review explains how to unlock the Crown Coins Casino no-deposit bonus and promo code. Plus, game testing and app reviews.

Chance Solem-Pfeifer July 15, 2026

Pulsz Casino Games and Bonuses with Promo Code

Pulsz Review: Redemption Speed, Promo Code & Slots

My Pulsz review breaks down the Pulsz promo code offer, 500+ casino games, and how to claim a real-money prize.

Chance Solem-Pfeifer July 15, 2026

High 5 Casino Review | My Honest Assessment

Find the details on the High 5 Casino promo code bonus, 1,500+ slot collection, unique Bonus Harvest feature, and real-money prize potential.

Chance Solem-Pfeifer July 15, 2026

Getting to know Ian St. Clair

Ian St. Clair author hub photo 2

Ian St. Clair manages content for PlayUSA and GamingToday and has helped shape coverage for some of the largest regulated gambling markets in North America, including PlayCanada, PlayNJ, PlayNY, and PlayPennsylvania. Previously, he served as the lead analyst and content manager for PlayColorado, joining the gambling beat in early 2020 just as sports betting launched in the state, giving him a front-row seat to Colorado’s rollout, early market trends, and regulatory shifts.

An award-winning sports journalist and Colorado native who graduated from the University of Northern Colorado, Ian quickly became one of the most trusted voices covering legalized sports betting in the state. His analysis and perspective were frequently sought by Denver and national media seeking context on how the new industry was actually taking shape.

Ian brings close to a decade of newsroom experience to his work, having held nearly every editorial role before transitioning into digital media, Internet marketing, and SEO. His reporting career includes covering the Denver Broncos for the Fort Collins Coloradoan, spending time at the Wyoming Tribune Eagle in Cheyenne covering everything from rodeo to all University of Wyoming athletics, and later moving into features writing with beats that ranged from symphony and theater to broader cultural storytelling and interviewing musicians such as country music icon Charlie Daniels.

Somewhere along the way, he reviewed a romance novel that became a surprise hit with readers, proof that versatility has always been part of the job.

Ian is also an editor and columnist at Mile High Report. His work sits at the intersection of sports, betting, media, and audience behavior, with a focus on how regulated gambling actually works, responsible gambling within regulated markets, and how people actually use the Internet.

When he’s not yelling at the TV while watching the Avalanche, Broncos, or Nuggets, he’s grilling or smoking, on a trail to scratch his outdoor itch, reading a book, or eating tacos.

Professional Experience

Catena Media
Content Lead/Managing Editor/Lead Writer
2020-present

SB Nation (Mile High Report)
Columnist/Editor
2015-present

American Furniture Warehouse
Product Content Manager
2015-2019

Clicks and Clients
Content Manager/Senior SEO Specialist
2013-2015

Loveland Reporter-Herald
News Editor
2012-2013

Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Features Writer/Sportswriter/Columnist
2006-2012

Education

University of Northern Colorado
B.A., Mass Communications/minor in history
2005

Ian St. Clair around the web

Play Colorado, Could Biff Tannen Pull A Fast One On Regulated US Sportsbooks?
Play Colorado, Sex, Drugs And … Gambling? It’s Time To Have The Talk About Problem Gaming With Young Bettors
Mile High Report, Hall of Fame Profile: Pat Bowlen
Denver7.com, Peyton Manning’s legacy defined by hope

Favorite sports teams

Colorado Avalanche, Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, and South Dakota State University (happy wife, happy life)

Favorite Gambling Movie

Back to the Future II

Best-Ever Gambling Win

Used a bonus bet on the Avs to win the Stanley Cup in 2022 and recently bet the Broncos to win the AFC West.

Tip For Young Writers

You find your writing identity by being versatile and pushing yourself into topics well outside your comfort zone.

Q&A with Ian St. Clair

What makes your perspective on gambling different from other writers in the industry?

I always try to find the unique angle that no one else sees. This comes from years in newspapers, where multiple people tell the same story. It’s a way to build authenticity and trust in what I write.

If you had to explain sports betting or online casinos to a complete beginner, what’s the one mistake you’d warn them about immediately?

Don’t let emotion influence your decisions. This is what leads to problems. So keep your emotions in check.

What is your approach to responsible gambling and player safety in your coverage?

To reiterate over and over that this is meant to be fun. As soon as it’s not, it’s time to stop. Don’t let this activity impact your personality or life.

How do you ensure your gambling content is accurate, fair, and responsible?

There’s a famous line I rely on when it comes to this: “If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out.” Tied into that is knowing your topic. Know it inside and out, while being honest and trustworthy.

What's the biggest myth about gambling that you wish would disappear forever?

That gambling is this nefarious activity, somehow still tied to the mafia, conducted in back alleys, and you can get your legs broken. Just like anything else in life, know your own limits and gamble responsibly.

Coolest person you've ever interviewed.

I’ve had the incredible fortune to interview numerous people over my career, so for the coolest, I’ll say Mick Mars, Charlie Daniels, and Kobe Bryant. While not an interview, per se, I have played bocce ball with US Senator John Barrasso.

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