MINNEAPOLIS (UKTN) — Investigators in Minnesota are investigating allegations that two men ran a TikTok gambling program at the state’s casinos.
Court documents this week show that the state’s Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Department is investigating allegations that an Edina man and his younger brother collected fees for playing slots on behalf of others watching TikTok, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. State law prohibits placing bets on behalf of someone else. No one has been charged so far.
A search warrant affidavit alleged that the Edina man used cash apps to collect an initial subscription fee of $5.99, as well as $25 for every $100 deposited for wagering. He then streamed live as he and sometimes his brother played the slots. Court documents showed the two ran the operation at the Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake and the Treasure Island Resort & Casino just outside Red Wing. One of their sessions ended just before dawn on Thursday.
The Edina man has 165,000 followers worldwide. Video highlights archived on his TikTok page show piles of cash and slot machines rolling up jackpots, including a $15,000 hit in December.
Nicole Roddy, spokesman for the Minnesota Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division, confirmed the investigation to the Star Tribune, saying the agency has never encountered such a case to date.
Officials from the American Gaming Association, which represents sportsbooks and casinos across the country, said they too had never heard of such a case until now. The association’s vice president for government relations, Alex Costello, said the alleged plan violates casinos’ anti-money laundering protocols.
