Reality show contestant possibly cheats on DraftKings...UPDATE Draftkings strips Bachelor contestant of 1M prize (1 Viewer)

[Leroy Hoard]

A similar thing happens at racetracks that have large carry overs in their pick 6 pools.  Groups pool their money to increase their chances to win.  The difference is that racetracks have no rules saying how many entries you are allowed.

 

[KarmaPolice]

He's not within the rules! He/they broke them.

UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIORS

Group play behavior designed to gain an unfair advantage over others:

Team-building complementary lineups which serve to work together AND executing a strategy that may create any unfair advantage over individual play.

Example A: You and 2 of your friends coordinate the makeup of the lineups you build AND coordinate which contests you enter using them.

Example B: You and a group of friends collaborate in NFL contests to each draft different QBs and WRs, to guarantee you aren't competing as directly with each other.

Entering the maximum number of entries in a contest, type of contest, or event, and having a 3rd party, regardless of their relationship, put in additional entries for you.

Example: A contest has a maximum of 10 entries. You put in 10 entries but want to play more so you give your friend 10 additional lineups to play in the contest.

I keep reading over these, and I am getting where you guys are coming from.  I keep going back to a couple things:

1.  according to Al Smiz, DK has all the data on this and "knows" that some groups have similar LUs a lot.  So they just don't care until now when somebody is dumb enough to tweet and congratulate the wrong person and put a spotlight on the site, and do this is probably one of the higher profile contests?

2.  I get them putting these in the rules, but how can you prove much of this unless there is proof that the payouts are being split among the collaborators - and how do you police this?

Take the first Example A - I am sure this happens a bit.  You know your buddy is good at dfs, uses a site you use or maybe you talk about your LU structure,  so you avoid the SE contests that he is in.    How can you police that?

Example B I get more, but it's still hard.  I talk to Nipsey and know that he's playing 50 Brees LUS and 50 Brady LUs, so I want to get away from that and do 50 Mahomes and 50 Lamar LUs. Where is the cheating unless we are pooling $ together for the 200 LUs and splitting winnings afterward?   

Second Example A - again, how is this policed unless you see the transfer of money afterward?  

Like I said, I get that it was against the rules as DK has them on the website, and these guys were really obvious about it, but I just don't know how you crack down on it.  IMO if DK flags groups of people with similar LUs like Al suggested, wouldn't that really crack down on the groups paying for optimizers, and I would guess that's a huge chunk of $ for the industry.  I just don't see how you catch this beforehand.  

 

[Zegras11]

I read the whole thread. Unless they guaranteed themselves first place all I see is they increased their odds but also put more at risk which anyone can do if they wanna risk it.

Yes, there are hundreds that did the same thing and even in larger groups and they mostly lost.  

 

[Quint]

A similar thing happens at racetracks that have large carry overs in their pick 6 pools.  Groups pool their money to increase their chances to win.  The difference is that racetracks have no rules saying how many entries you are allowed.

well, and parimutuel isn't quite the same as a GPP.

 

[Angry Beavers]

class action incoming! Has to be!

Secondly, the twitter feeds that were linked above are pure gold. 

 

[Quint]

just a data point:

i entered a $10 single-entry, double-up NBA contest tonight on DK...2298 entries.

a cursory look at the lineups as of 5:45 pm PST:

- top score is currently 227

- there are 80 identical lineups sitting at 183
- there are 75 identical lineups sitting at 165
- there are 64 identical lineups sitting at 163
- there are 269 identical lineups sitting at 147

all of these above are currently cashing.

now, this is a nine game slate and you can almost dismiss any GS player out of hand (i'm a GS fan and agree with this completely), and Harden is 90% owned at $12800...and he's going off so that's a smart play in a cash game. just find it kinda odd how many of the others match up exactly across 268 other lineups (for the lowest scoring at this point). it's not collusion, but optimizer/touts?

 

[Jefferson the Caregiver]

This story is so awesome on so many levels.  

The fact someone congratulated the wrong person to set off warning bells.

The fact that the couple is now claiming they were not colluding and it was plain luck that the wife won, even though they submitted 300 entries and 298 of them were completely unique - and there is a mountain of evidence against them.

This a huge deal among the DFS community (of which I am not a part).  Is it being done by others?  Wouldn't doubt it.  So brazenly by a psuedo-celebrity couple?  Ooof.

The fact DK is about to go public, losing money hand over fist and now has to deal with this.

And I just can't wait for the ruling and as someone mentioned previously, I'm sure they will be able to find additional similar instances were team(s) colluded to win large GPP's.

I bet @Assani Fisher would have some strong opinions on this one

You forgot the classic quote about Tanner telling her not to play Metcalf.  That was rich.

 

[KarmaPolice]

just a data point:

i entered a $10 single-entry, double-up NBA contest tonight on DK...2298 entries.

a cursory look at the lineups as of 5:45 pm PST:

- top score is currently 227

- there are 80 identical lineups sitting at 183
- there are 75 identical lineups sitting at 165
- there are 64 identical lineups sitting at 163
- there are 269 identical lineups sitting at 147

all of these above are currently cashing.

now, this is a nine game slate and you can almost dismiss any GS player out of hand (i'm a GS fan and agree with this completely), and Harden is 90% owned at $12800...and he's going off so that's a smart play in a cash game. just find it kinda odd how many of the others match up exactly across 268 other lineups (for the lowest scoring at this point). it's not collusion, but optimizer/touts?

Especially in cash, and especially with optimizers, it seems like it comes down to a handful of construction options for optimal LUs, then it's just pivots at a couple positions.  

 

[Jefferson the Caregiver]

Screw these people and any other syndicate doing the same thing.  Whether rampant or not, glad someone may go down for this.

Seems like a pretty big deal to me.

 

[Tool]

Seems like syndicates have to be pretty common and there’s no real way to police it. That seems like a big problem for the industry.

 

[The Z Machine]

Note: I'm not a dfs player and don't know much about the industry or games.

Why doesn't the industry move to an explicitly pari-mutuel model? Wouldn't that limit the effectiveness of collusion?

 

[Jayrok]

UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIORS

Group play behavior designed to gain an unfair advantage over others:

Team-building complementary lineups which serve to work together AND executing a strategy that may create any unfair advantage over individual play.

Example A: You and 2 of your friends coordinate the makeup of the lineups you build AND coordinate which contests you enter using them.

Example B: You and a group of friends collaborate in NFL contests to each draft different QBs and WRs, to guarantee you aren't competing as directly with each other.

Entering the maximum number of entries in a contest, type of contest, or event, and having a 3rd party, regardless of their relationship, put in additional entries for you.

Example: A contest has a maximum of 10 entries. You put in 10 entries but want to play more so you give your friend 10 additional lineups to play in the contest.

The couple clearly coordinated with each other (let's be honest, the husband did all 300 of the lineups. She probably never heard of DK Metcalf before last weekend) to create the unique/complimentary lineups.  This was a violation of the "Unacceptable Behaviors."  

Okay, so not what?  Does the terms of agreement/rules of play specifically state that any winnings of contestants that fall into the realm of "Unacceptable Behaviors" are forfeited and not awarded?  If so then just disqualify them and award the 2nd and/or 3rd place winner.  Maybe they coordinated too! 

 

[eoMMan]

The couple clearly coordinated with each other (let's be honest, the husband did all 300 of the lineups. She probably never heard of DK Metcalf before last weekend) to create the unique/complimentary lineups.  This was a violation of the "Unacceptable Behaviors."  

Okay, so not what?  Does the terms of agreement/rules of play specifically state that any winnings of contestants that fall into the realm of "Unacceptable Behaviors" are forfeited and not awarded?  If so then just disqualify them and award the 2nd and/or 3rd place winner.  Maybe they coordinated too! 

My beef with this too is that although DK said they are investigating the situation, it really shouldn't take them that long to investigate and figure out what happened. Also, they then should update all of their customers on the findings and their next steps.  Not cool to leave everyone in the dark. 

 

[brun]

I think public trust in DK's dfs business isn't their only concern. DK was just awarded exclusive rights to provide sportsbook operations in NH. They already provide these services in other states as well. With more states allowing sportsbook operations in the future, I would think DK would want to do everything possible to favorably present their sportsbook operations to these states too. I think they're going to have to strongly consider DQ'ing this couple to demonstrate their rules enforcement and compliance. 

 

[Nipsey]

Does the terms of agreement/rules of play specifically state that any winnings of contestants that fall into the realm of "Unacceptable Behaviors" are forfeited and not awarded?

The Company, at its sole discretion, may disqualify any entrant from a Contest, refuse to award benefits or prizes and require the return of any prizes, if the entrant engages in conduct or otherwise utilizes any information the Company deems to be improper, unfair or otherwise adverse to the operation of the Contest or is in any way detrimental to other entrants.

 

[tjnc09]

I think public trust in DK's dfs business isn't their only concern. DK was just awarded exclusive rights to provide sportsbook operations in NH. They already provide these services in other states as well. With more states allowing sportsbook operations in the future, I would think DK would want to do everything possible to favorably present their sportsbook operations to these states too. I think they're going to have to strongly consider DQ'ing this couple to demonstrate their rules enforcement and compliance. 

It’s sad how sports betting is finally being legalized and these companies that are being awarded licenses are as/more sketchy than the offshores.

 

[Nipsey]

They bumped the 2nd place guy up to first, everyone moved up a spot. Didn't pay the couple the 1M prize but who knows if they paid them some kind of settlement. Vague statement issued this morning by draftkings. Looks like they paid out people for other contests that also involved collusion/cheating.

https://www.actionnetwork.com/news/bachelor-contestant-loses-1-million-daily-fantasy-prize-cheating
 

Almost three weeks after the biggest daily fantasy contest controversy yet, DraftKings ruled Saturday that two former “Bachelor” contestants cheated to win the $1 million prize.

“DraftKings has decided to update the standings for several contests,” the statement said. “All customers affected by the updated standings will be notified directly. It is our general policy not to comment further on such matters.”

A glance at the standings from the $1 million daily fantasy contest for the NFL Wild Card weekend now omits the winning score of Jade Roper Tolbert, the Bachelor contestant who won that week. An unidentified DraftKings player under the name spclk36 is now listed as the $1 million winner.

It’s the first time DraftKings has ever taken away a $1 million daily fantasy prize

Alan Milstein, a prominent New Jersey attorney who represented spclk36, told The Action Network, “We appreciate the way DraftKings looked into the contest, according to their rules, and my client is thrilled that he has been informed that he is the winner.”

Hours after Roper won, a Twitter user scraped all the lineups submitted by Roper and her husband Tanner Tolbert — who she met on “Bachelor in Paradise” — and found that they had very little crossover in key players used, perhaps a sign, it was alleged, that the two had colluded. It is against DraftKings rules to work with another on lineups, as each user is only allowed to have 150 lineups in the $1 million contests.

“We each put in our separate players, in our separate accounts and rooted for own players,” Tanner Tolbert insisted to ESPN, in a statement shortly after the win.

Tolbert did not respond to a request for comment on Saturday.

DraftKings did not discuss its process, or if it is asking for money back from other people it might have found to colluded. The statement suggests that it stripped others of prizes.

DraftKings is under further scrutiny now because of its recent intention to go public. How the investigation was conducted and its results will undoubtedly be studied by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

[Nipsey]

https://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/28561838/ex-bachelor-contestant-loses-1-milllion-dfs-results-amended

 

[Nipsey]

I guess if they don't sue we'll know they got paid.

 

[Capella]

I’ll never stop laughing at the “haha my boyfriend even told me not to play Metcalf” tweets when they both combined to play Metcalf on like 280 lineups

She must have had her mind blown when she realized people could pull the lineups. Total idiots. 

 

[Nipsey]

Clearly what happened is the guy used his wife as a front to open a 2nd account.

 

[Nipsey]

I’ll never stop laughing at the “haha my boyfriend even told me not to play Metcalf” tweets when they both combined to play Metcalf on like 280 lineups

She must have had her mind blown when she realized people could pull the lineups. Total idiots. 

Once he realized they were exposed the guy coached her on what to tweet and didn't think it through. For sure not the brightest guy. If he wasn't lazy with how he put the lineups in he probably gets away with it.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

I guess if they don't sue we'll know they got paid.