More and more people have been getting in trouble with the law because of illegal acts posted on social media. Investigators are now looking into allegations that two Minnesota men have been running a TikTok gambling scheme in the state’s casinos.
The Minnesota Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division is investigating allegations that an Edina man and his younger brother have been collecting fees for playing slots on behalf of others watching live TikTok. State law clearly prohibits placing bets on behalf of someone else, which caused the authorities to take notice.
The Edina man allegedly ran his scheme using cash apps to collect an initial $5.99 subscription fee as well as $25 for every $100 deposited for wagering. He would then stream live on TikTok as he and occasionally his brother played the slots at the casino.
The pair have been running the operation at two casinos: the Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake and the Treasure Island Resort & Casino just outside Red Wing. The TikTok account has 165,000 followers around the world and previous video highlights archived on the page show wads of cash and slot machines rolling up jackpots, including a large $15,000 hit in December 2022.
The investigation is ongoing but no one has been charged so far.