A large number of wagers
New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte is in hot water for allegedly placing over 8,900 wagers when he was underage and a member of the Louisiana State University (LSU) football team.
he used a fake name to create an online sportsbook account
Louisiana State Police claim that he used a fake name to create an online sportsbook account and that 17 wagers were on college football games, including six on his own team. NCAA athletes are banned from placing wagers and the penalties are especially harsh if they bet on their own teams.
Boutte even placed a bet on himself to have over 82.5 receiving yards and another that he would score a touchdown against Florida State on September 4, 2022. He did not reach either of these targets. Boutte allegedly lost $65,000 in 2022 and $16,000 in 2023 through his betting.
Facing the consequences
Boutte surrendered on Thursday to the authorities and faces a misdemeanor underage gambling charge and a computer fraud felony charge. The latter can result in up to five years of prison time and a maximum fine of $10,000, while the underage gambling charge carries up to six months in prison and a $1,000 fine.
could be facing additional charges
The Louisiana native posted a bond to secure his release; footage circulating on social media shows him leaving the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison:
LSU confirmed in a statement that it is aware of the transgressions and it has fully cooperated with investigations. The school noted that it has no evidence that any other athletes committed similar offenses.
Gambling discovered
FanDuel Sportsbook reportedly got in touch with the Louisiana State Police Gaming Enforcement Division in July after discovering that a college athlete potentially placed numerous sports bets on its platform. FanDuel used geolocation technology to link some of the transactions related to the fake account to the LSU Football Operations Center.
The subsequent investigation uncovered the large quantity of bets placed through the account between April 2022 and May 2023. As Boutte was already on the Patriots following the draft in April, he could also face disciplinary action from the NFL.