Two men from Minnesota have been sentenced to probation and community service after playing casino slot machines by proxy for gamblers while livestreaming on social media app TikTok.
Blake Carl Fitzgerald, 41, of Farmington, Minnesota, was sentenced on gambling related misdemeanor charges on Monday. His brother, Christopher J.L. Mattison, had previously been sentenced for his part in the 2023 scheme.
The brothers were convicted for jointly operating an illegal proxy gambling service. The pair visited casinos in the Minnesota area, including Treasure Island Resort & Casino, southeast of Minneapolis, where they would livestream themselves playing slots with money sent in by viewers. In one case, a bettor through the brothers won, and was paid, $15,000, said court documents seen by The Minnesota Tribune.
Judge Patrick Biren gave each brother two years of probation and 40 hours of community service, passing sentence from Goodhue County Justice Centre.
The Proxy Gambling
The two brothers started their scheme in late 2022, ending it in January 2023 after being caught by two casinos and then state investigators.
During their three weeks of illegal enterprise, 81 people sent Fitzgerald more than $48,000. In return for which (and a subscription fee) he or his brother would livestream themselves on TikTok spinning the slots on casino floors. According to messages between the pair, one customer was suspected to be only 16-years-old.
During the three weeks, the pair racked up more than 150,000 followers on the social media app. Bettors won back about a third of what they wagered, according to Fitzgerald’s Cash App and Venmo account records, which were seized by state investigators.
That included one live streamed jackpot win of $15,000, which received more than 500,000 views on the app after being clipped from the livestream.
Livestreaming casino floor and online gambling sessions is not at all illegal, although guests with cameras were long frowned upon in casinos. Now it is widely popular, and sometimes even encouraged by the business. But taking proxy bets for someone else who isn’t at the casino most definitely is illegal, and the brothers were aware of this, court documents said.
The Arrest and Sentence
The duo’s crimes came to light after an anonymous tip was sent to the Minnesota Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division (AGED).
An agent from the Division found the TikTok profile, then joined the livestream posing as an interested bettor. After being asked how the betting process worked, Fitzgerald said the minimum deposit was $125, of which $100 would be wagered and $25 went to him.
While the agent was watching the stream, Fitzgerald also mentioned that he had previously enacted the scheme at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, southwest of Minneapolis.
Investigators later discovered Fitzgerald livestreamed hours before a January 23, 2023, arrest warrant was put out for him. In it, he was sitting in his car outside Treasure Island Casino, having just been caught by security and banned. He promised viewers he would find a new casino and return. But he never did, as he went on the run before being arrested in December that year.
Mattison filed a guilty plea shortly after being arrested and was sentenced in July 2024 in the same court. Fitzgerald originally contested the claim, but this week filed a guilty plea in court and received the same sentence as his brother.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
