Poker Vlogger Ethan “Rampage” Yau Claims Bookie Scammed Him Out of Thousands
Ethan “Rampage” Yau, a well-known poker vlogger and World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner, has accused a sports betting agent of scamming him out of thousands of dollars. Yau took to social media to name Neema Khazaie, an agent for Diamond Sportsbook, as the culprit, claiming that Khazaie owes him a substantial amount after initially providing good service.
According to Yau, Khazaie had been a reliable agent for 6-8 months, during which time the poker player experienced a significant losing streak. However, once Yau’s luck began to turn around, with an upswing of around $30,000, his attempts to withdraw funds were met with resistance. Yau claims that his withdrawal requests were repeatedly ignored, and Khazaie began to limit his betting activity, labeling him as a “sharp” — a term used for sports bettors with a proven edge.
Yau, who has transitioned from low-stakes games to high-stakes poker, said that his account had grown to around $138,000, including $80,000 of his own deposit. Despite the large balance, his attempts to cash out the funds were unsuccessful. The agent reportedly acknowledged the debt, but as of October 8, Yau had not received his money. Khazaie offered to send a partial payment of $30,000-$40,000 within a few days but did not provide a clear timeline for when the remaining balance would be paid.
Yau shared, and later deleted, text messages in which Khazaie confirmed the owed amount but provided various excuses for the delay. This situation marks another setback for Yau, who has had a turbulent history with both poker swings and alleged scammers.
Yau’s poker career has had its ups and downs, including a notable downswing that led him to withdraw from the Hustler Casino Live Million Dollar Game in May. Despite these challenges, he has achieved significant success, including over $2.8 million in live tournament earnings in the past three years and a charity poker win in Las Vegas just last week.
Despite the ongoing issue with the bookie, Yau remains optimistic about his future and vowed to be more discerning about who he trusts moving forward.
