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_Editor’s note: This story explains how sports betting scams work; sports gambling is illegal in many states (see __map__). And gambling addiction can be devastating. Find information on and

help for problem gambling at the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) __online__ or by calling the organization’s helpline at 800-426-2537._ Professional poker player Cory Zeidman

knows a thing or two about betting. In 2012, at age 51, he triumphed over more than 600 other players at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) during a seven-card stud high-low championship game.

He won a total of nearly $400,000 in 14 different WSOP events between 1997 and 2019. But the money Zeidman made at poker pales in comparison to the fortune he made from an elaborate sports

betting fraud scheme: In 2022, federal prosecutors accused him and several co-conspirators of perpetrating a years-long scam to defraud prospective sports bettors by claiming to have inside

information on college and professional sporting events. Using fake names and high-pressure sales tactics, the scammers charged bettors exorbitant fees to obtain “privileged” intel that was

fictitious or based on open-source internet research — for example, non-public information about injured players, “dirty” referees or “fixed” games. Between January 2004 and March 2020,

prosecutors allege, Zeidman and his partners stole more than $25 million from victims in Long Island, N.Y., and Boca Raton, Fla. In December 2024, Zeidman, 63, pled guilty to conspiring to

commit mail and wire fraud. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and forfeiture and restitution of approximately $3.6 million. Although his experience as a professional gambler

made him particularly effective, Zeidman is not unique. With its rapid legalization and associated growth in jurisdictions across the United States, sports betting is becoming an

increasingly popular vehicle through which criminals can exploit their victims — including older adults. About 18 percent of people 65 and older said they participate in online sports

betting “very often,” and 23 percent do so “somewhat often,” according to a January 2024 survey of 3,071 U.S. adults conducted by Siena College Research Institute (SCRI) and St. Bonaventure

University’s Jandoli School of Communications. The American Sports Fanship Survey found that, overall, 39 percent of Americans bet on sporting events. WHY OLDER ADULTS ARE VULNERABLE Sports

betting scams can target anyone, but older adults can be more vulnerable as they may have less digital savvy than younger people, many of whom are digital natives, says Alexander Korsager,

chief gambling officer at Casino.org, an educational website dedicated to helping consumers find trusted internet casinos and reputable online gambling sites. Meanwhile, more gambling

platforms are popping up every day, Korsager adds, “making it really difficult to know who is legitimate outside of the really big players that everyone knows… Because of that, scammers have

an easy time preying on people who don’t have a lot of experience and brand awareness."