A Twin Cities man has been sentenced for a second time after admitting to roaming two Minnesota casinos and playing slots for gamblers who paid to have their bets placed and then watched live on TikTok.
Twin Cities man sentenced for illegally playing casino slots for bettors who watched live on TikTok
He’s now been sentenced in two cases for his gambling actions at Mystic Lake and Treasure Island.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
February 4, 2025 at 6:09PM
Blake C. Fitzgerald, 41, of Farmington, pleaded guilty Monday in Goodhue County District Court to a gross misdemeanor charge of running a remote bookie business at Treasure Island Resort & Casino near Red Wing.
Upon entering his plea, Fitzgerald was sentenced to two years of supervised probation and fined $488. Should he abide by the terms for the two years, the conviction will be reduced to a misdemeanor.
In February 2024, Fitzgerald pleaded guilty in Scott County to the same count and was similarly sentenced in connection with his illegal betting at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake.
Fitzgerald’s brother, Christopher J.L. Mattison, 35, pleaded guilty earlier in Scott County for his role in the gambling enterprise. He was placed on supervised probation for a year and fined $250. If he has no probation violations, the gross misdemeanor case will be dismissed.
Similar charges against Mattison in Goodhue County resulted in a sentence on a gross misdemeanor count to two years’ supervised probation. Abiding by the probation’s terms will mean the conviction being reduced to a misdemeanor.
According to the state’s investigation of the brothers, the two arranged bets for 81 people in a three-week period that totaled more than $48,000. Bettors received back about a third of their money, either in winnings or refunds if the brothers ran out of time to get the wagers down.
Fitzgerald collected through cash apps an initial $5.99 subscription fee and then $25 that he kept for every $100 deposited for wagering, which he streamed live on TikTok.
Archived videos on his main TikTok account revealed 165,000 followers from around the world. Video highlights showed wads of cash and slot machines rolling up occasional big jackpots, including one that topped $15,000.
Administrators at both casinos caught on to Fitzgerald’s TikTok bookie business. On Jan. 12, 2023, he livestreamed about being kicked out of Mystic Lake during a previous visit. That same day, he was in his car outside Treasure Island and said he had just been given a permanent trespass notice.
He’s now been sentenced in two cases for his gambling actions at Mystic Lake and Treasure Island.
