Las Vegas DraftKings Employee Charged in Fresno State Prop Betting Scheme

A Las Vegas DraftKings employee has been arrested and charged in connection with an alleged prop betting scheme tied to a Fresno State men’s basketball player, according to court documents obtained by Nexstar’s KLAS. Samuel Silverman, a former DraftKings sports trader, faces charges of commission of a fraudulent act in a gaming establishment and conspiracy to cheat at a gambling game, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for Aug. 4.

Silverman is one of five people investigators allege were involved in a conspiracy to profit from prop bets built around the intentional underperformance of former Fresno State guard Mykell Robinson. The case has already reshaped the college basketball landscape once, with the NCAA permanently banning three players last September, and it now threatens to expose deeper cracks in how prop markets are monitored at the operator level.

How the Alleged Scheme Unfolded

According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, the case centers on a Jan. 7, 2025 matchup between Fresno State and Colorado State. Ahead of that game, BetMGM reportedly flagged a series of unusual parlay bets placed on the under for Robinson’s points, rebounds, assists, and made three-pointers — wagers totaling roughly $2,200 at long odds. Robinson went on to finish with just three points, two rebounds, no assists, and one three-pointer in a Fresno State loss, and the parlays cashed for close to $16,000.

Court documents allege that former DraftKings employee Matthew Martin placed the winning wagers and kept the bulk of the payout, distributing the rest among his alleged co-conspirators. Investigators say Silverman received a cut of the winnings and helped funnel money to Robinson and former Fresno State player Steven Vasquez, who is also named in the case. Silverman was reportedly a Fresno State student from 2020 to 2024 with ties to the school’s basketball program before joining DraftKings as a Las Vegas-based sports trader in 2024, per his LinkedIn profile cited in the investigation.

Regulatory Fallout and DraftKings’ Response

The Nevada Gaming Control Board says the investigation began after a sports-integrity monitor alerted Fresno State and the NCAA to the suspicious activity, prompting a subpoena-driven probe into financial records, cellphone data, and licensed sportsbook data. Silverman was booked into the Clark County Detention Center in May, and the Board has said additional suspects remain under investigation with more criminal charges possible.

DraftKings has distanced itself from the allegations, telling ESPN that neither Silverman nor Martin were involved in setting college basketball betting lines and that both are no longer with the company. “The alleged activity at issue did not occur on DraftKings’ platform, and the individuals involved are no longer employed by the company,” a company spokesperson said. “We strongly condemn the alleged conduct of these former employees and remain committed to protecting the integrity of sports and sports betting.”

The case adds to a growing list of integrity scandals tied to player-prop markets in college sports, an area regulators and sportsbooks alike have struggled to police as prop betting volume has exploded. With a preliminary hearing now set for early August and the Gaming Control Board signaling more arrests could follow, the fallout from the Fresno State case is far from over.