A sports betting influencer placed a $143,000 bet on the Boston Celtics to win the NBA Championship at Harrah's Cherokee Casino in North Carolina. The Celtics won. His ticket was worth $500,000. Caesars used his winning ticket on their own social media to market their sportsbook. Then refused to pay him. Those posts were quietly deleted. – Manny Cortez was a sports betting content creator with a large following on social media. – In June 2024 he placed a $143,000 bet on the Boston Celtics to win the 2024 NBA Championship at Harrah's Cherokee Hotel and Casino in North Carolina. – The Celtics won the title. His ticket paid out $357,500. Total winnings: $500,000. – Before refusing to pay him Caesars Sportsbook and Harrah's Cherokee posted his winning ticket on their own official social media accounts to market their sportsbook to customers. – Then they refused to pay him. – Their reason was that Cortez had used a third party to physically hand the ticket across the counter, known in the industry as using a beard. – Casino house rules prohibit players from using someone else to place bets on their behalf. – Caesars refunded his $143,000 stake. They kept the $357,500 profit. – Cortez posted a video of himself arguing with casino officials that went viral immediately. – On his own Instagram account he had previously posted a photo of his betting slip with a caption about calling his bookie to raise the limit. – Investigators used that post as evidence he had coordinated the bet through someone else. – He was banned from all Caesars properties across the country. – The North Carolina sports betting regulator reviewed the case and filed no charges. No further public update has been issued. – The social media posts Caesars made using his winning ticket as promotional material were deleted after the dispute became public. The casino posted his winning ticket on their own social media to advertise their sportsbook. Then refused to pay the winner.