The Nevada Gaming Control Board has named Samuel Silverman, 23, a former DraftKings employee based in Las Vegas, as a suspect in a point-shaving scheme involving the Fresno State University basketball program, with Silverman now facing two felony counts in connection with the alleged conspiracy.
Silverman faces one felony count of committing a fraudulent act at a gaming establishment and a second count of attempting or conspiring to cheat at a gambling game. He was released from custody on $12,000 bail and has entered a not guilty plea, according to his attorney, Michael Pariente.
Pariente said the state’s evidence would be tested in court, not in the court of public opinion, and expressed confidence it would not hold up. Silverman is next due in court in August.
The Alleged Scheme
The NGCB alleged that Silverman and three co-conspirators – former DraftKings employee Matthew Martin, Fresno State forward Mykell Robinson, and San Jose State guard Steven Vasquez – conspired to place prop bets tied to Robinson’s deliberate under-performance in Fresno State’s January 7, 2025 Mountain West Conference game against Colorado State.
According to authorities, the four collectively profited nearly $16,000 from the scheme. Martin, who placed the wagers at an MGM sportsbook, received $11,325; Silverman took $3,000; Robinson $1,425; and Vasquez $200. Martin and Silverman were roommates, investigators said.
Silverman previously worked for the Fresno State Basketball program and allegedly served as the conduit between the players and Martin. Martin placed three separate wagers ranging from $200 to $800, with the highest-paying bet returning $5,800. All three wagers won, and proceeds moved from Martin through Silverman and Vasquez before reaching Robinson.
In a text message sent the morning of the game, Robinson wrote to his mother asking her to forward money to Vasquez, adding that they were eating good off a $200 flip. Authorities said there was no evidence his mother was aware of the wagering arrangement or his intention to underperform.
Operator Response and NCAA Action
DraftKings confirmed Silverman is no longer employed by the company and condemned the alleged conduct. The NCAA conducted its own parallel investigation; both Robinson and Vasquez were subsequently expelled from their universities and released from their basketball programs.
The NGCB subpoenaed documents from the NCAA’s investigation and Fresno State’s internal probe, and also collected cellphone records. Whether Martin, Vasquez, or either of the Robinsons will face criminal charges remains unclear,
The case follows a pattern of insider-access integrity breaches in legal sports betting markets, including incidents involving team employees leaking information to bettors. The NGCB subpoenaed documents and interviews from the NCAA investigation and Fresno State’s internal probe, and also collected cellphone records. a trend tracked in recent suspicious betting alert data from integrity monitoring bodies.
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Petra Vanhoof has spent the better part of a decade following the shifting tides of gambling regulation across Europe and beyond. She came up through the compliance side of the industry before pivoting to writing, which gives her a grounded, no-nonsense perspective on the rules, loopholes, and political maneuvering that shape how operators actually do business. She is particularly drawn to the gap between what regulators say and what the market ends up doing in response.