The Jacksonville Jaguars will receive about $5m from sports betting operator FanDuel after one of the NFL franchise’s former employees stole almost $22m from the organization and used most of the funds playing daily fantasy contests. About $20m was spent on FanDuel and $1m on DraftKings. ESPN reported that the NFL advised FanDuel to work with the Jaguars on the matter, without actively participating in the negotiations.
FanDuel is one of the NFL’s official sports betting partners; ESPN said that the relationship played a role in the Flutter-owned company giving some compensation to the Jaguars.
received a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence in March 2024
Amit Patel previously worked as part of the Jaguars’ financial team and stole funds between 2019 and 2023 through an expenses system for the team’s credit cards. He received a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence in March 2024 for his transgressions.
The Jaguars reportedly requested that FanDuel repay part of the stolen funds in February 2024, despite the operator saying it got the money “fair and clear.” The Jaguars sued Patel in July 2024 for $66.6m, and Patel himself sued FanDuel last year, seeking $250m in damages after alleging that the operator exploited his gambling addiction.
