Former DraftKings Employee Charged for College Betting Scheme

The betting scandals just keep coming for US sports leagues.

Former DraftKings sportsbook traders Samuel Silverman and Matthew Martin have been charged for their role in a college basketball betting scheme. The offense took place back in 2025 and has led the pair to face a pair of felony charges and potential prison time. 

According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, the pair worked with two members of Fresno State’s men’s basketball team. The duo helped facilitate bets for prop bets involving players who agreed to intentionally underperform. While both defendants deny their involvement, Nevada’s sports betting regulator claims to have phone and e-mail records that prove otherwise.

DraftKings made sure to emphasize that neither had any involvement with college basketball.

“The alleged activity at issue did not occur on DraftKings’ platform, and the individuals involved are no longer employed by the company,” DraftKings shared in a statement to ESPN. “We strongly condemn the alleged conduct of these former employees and remain committed to protecting the integrity of sports and sports betting."

The industry-leading sportsbook isn’t available in Nevada, but the operator has an office in Las Vegas, where the two former employees worked. While incidents like this certainly generate negative headlines, they rarely impact the high ratings typically found in a comprehensive DraftKings sportsbook review.

Player Props Back in Spotlight

Once again, player prop bets are in the national spotlight.

Like with most major betting schemes, this one involved betting on athletes to go “under” on player props. This gives the dishonest players more control to ensure the wagers pay out without relying on other factors. 

Several state lawmakers across the US have proposed bans or restrictions on player props as a result of their use in betting schemes. Unfortunately, the controversial bet type also drives most of the revenue for sportsbooks. The threat of losing that revenue has kept player prop bans from passing, allowing scandals like this one to continue.

The NCAA has requested that states look to rein in player prop bets to help protect the integrity of college sports. Unfortunately, the request has largely been rejected by lawmakers.