Ex-DraftKings trader charged in Fresno State hoops fix
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- Samuel Silverman, a former DraftKings sports trader, was arrested May 5 in Las Vegas on two Class C felonies — commission of a fraudulent act in a gaming establishment and conspiracy to cheat — carrying one-to-five-year prison terms; he has pleaded not guilty.
- The alleged conspiracy involved Silverman, his DraftKings colleague Matthew J. Martin, and former Fresno State players Mykell Robinson and Steven Vasquez, and centered on a Jan. 7, 2025 Fresno State–Colorado State game.
- Robinson played only 21 minutes and finished with 3 points, 2 rebounds, and 0 assists after texting Vasquez that he planned to "playin lil first half may get couple stats, then sitting."
- BetMGM flagged three suspicious parlay bets totaling $2,200 at +625 odds that Martin placed on Robinson's unders; the bets won a net $15,950, distributed as $11,325 to Martin, $3,000 to Silverman, $1,425 to Robinson, and $200 to Vasquez.
- The NCAA permanently ruled Robinson and Vasquez ineligible in September for violating its gambling statutes, and a Caesars Sportsbook executive told investigators the company had already been monitoring Silverman's account.
- DraftKings says the alleged activity did not occur on its platform, no internal information was used, and both employees are no longer with the company; the Nevada Gaming Control Board says "several additional suspects remain outstanding."
Why it matters: With a DraftKings employee at the center of a college-shaving scheme, scrutiny now extends beyond athletes to the sportsbook workers who help place winning bets. The NCAA's permanent ineligibility ruling on the two players, plus the gaming board's warning of more suspects outstanding, means the investigation is still widening across both the gambling industry and college sports.
