FanDuel to Pay $5M to the Jacksonville Jaguars Following Recent Scandal

Sports betting powerhouse FanDuel is reportedly set to pay $5 million to the Jacksonville Jaguars following a scandal involving the team’s former finance manager, Amit Patel. According to earlier complaints, FanDuel exploited the manager’s problem gambling, without confirming the source of his funds.

The Finance Manager Stole Millions from the Team

In 2023, Patel pleaded guilty to stealing $22 million from the Jaguars. As finance manager, he exploited his position to manipulate the team’s accounting, inflating certain costs and duplicating others. In addition to that, the manager fabricated additional transactions, while redirecting money toward his personal account.

Authorities understood that Patel spent most of the funds he stole on daily fantasy sports contests at FanDuel. The scam ran from September 2019 to February 2023 and ultimately came crashing down when one of his bets incurred an NFL investigation.  

Patel was eventually sentenced to six and a half years in a minimum-security prison in Alabama. He was later transferred to Florida as prosecutors filed a first-degree organized fraud charge. The former manager was also sued by the Jaguars who sought $66 million in damages.

Patel Alleges FanDuel Could Have Prevented His Fraud

In 2024, Patel initiated his own lawsuit against FanDuel, seeking $250 million in damages. In his complaint, he alleged that FanDuel exploited his gambling problems and failing to protect him from problem gambling.

The lawsuit insisted that the operator should have had safeguards that should have prevented Patel from wagering millions of dollars without being addressed or having his source of funds checked. The complaint asserted that FanDuel had committed severe safer gambling and AML breaches, resulting in significant damage.

Prosecutors, however, have rejected Patel’s claim that his actions had been motivated by addiction to gambling.

The Operator Reportedly Wants to Offset Some of the Losses

While FanDuel is seeking arbitration in accordance to its terms and conditions, new reports say that the operator is set to pay $5 million to the Jaguars to offset some of the losses incurred by the team as a result of Patel’s fraud.

The Associated Press tried to contact the operator, but, as of the time of this writing, has yet to receive a response. The Jaguars, meanwhile, refused to comment on the matter.