Poker player detained in connection with NBA match-fixing case
Poker Pro Arrested in NBA Match-Fixing Case
Poker pro Robert 'Big Rob' Gorodetsky has been arrested in connection with a spot-fixing scheme in the National Basketball Association. On June 29, police detained him along with six other co-conspirators after federal prosecutors unsealed the indictment. The primary targets of the investigation are NBA players Malik Beasley and Ed Davis, who stand accused of orchestrating a betting fraud scheme centred on hitting specific player props during the 2023-24 season.
According to the prosecution, Beasley, while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, agreed to manipulate his performance to go over or under specific betting lines in targeted games. He allegedly funneled this inside information to Davis, who passed it along to accomplices, including Gorodetsky. The syndicate placed bets worth hundreds of thousands of dollars across several sportsbooks. The indictment highlights matchups involving Milwaukee against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, and Brooklyn Nets.
Gorodetsky faces charges of wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and sports bribery. The indictment reveals that the poker player directed others to place wagers on his behalf. Gorodetskyu2019s largest single payout from the scheme exceeded $77,000.
Gorodetskyu2019s betting volume was heavy enough to shift the market lines. In intercepted communications, other members of the syndicate requested him to pump the brakes on his bet sizes to avoid triggering bookmaker alerts. Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison for the fraud counts, plus an additional five years for the bribery charge.
In 2011, Gorodetsky dropped out of the University of Arizona to pursue poker full-time, building a resume with cashes in major events, including the World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker. As recently as April 2026, he secured four cashes at the WSOP Europe in the Czech Republic. His career live tournament earnings stand at approximately $190,000.
This is not Gorodetsky's first run-in with federal authorities. In January 2020, he was indicted for wire fraud and filing a false tax return. Out of his depth, he defrauded an investoru2014the father of his then-girlfriendu2014out of $9.6m, burning through the cash on a high-roller lifestyle and sports betting. The poker player pleaded guilty to those charges and was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison in 2021.
