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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars and FanDuel have come to an agreement following the gambling scandal from ex-Jaguars employee Amit Patel.
Patel was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison in March 2024 after pleading guilty to wire fraud and illegal monetary transaction, with $21 million of the stolen funds going to gambling sites.
Now, the Jaguars have received some compensation for the scandal.
"FanDuel has agreed to pay the Jaguars approximately $5 million to compensate for the nearly $20 million that a former Jacksonville employee stole from the team and then lost at the sportsbook, multiple sources familiar with the agreement told ESPN. The sources said the deal was finalized in early 2025, more than a year after Amit Patel, a midlevel finance manager for the Jaguars, pleaded guilty to stealing $22 million through a virtual credit card system the team used for expenses," ESPN said.
"Sources told ESPN that the NFL encouraged the Jaguars and FanDuel, one of the league's official betting partners, to come to a resolution but did not actively participate in the discussions. A source with direct knowledge of the agreement said FanDuel was motivated to pay the Jaguars in the interest of being a good partner with the league.
In July, Patel was charged with six counts of grand theft related to the funds embezzled from the franchise.
According to a report from The Athletic in December 2023, Patel allegedly stole the money by “exploiting the organization’s virtual credit card program.” Patel allegedly used the money to buy two vehicles, a condominium, and a designer watch, among other things. He also allegedly purchased cryptocurrency, placed bets with online gambling sites, and chartered personal jets."
“We can confirm that in February 2023, the team terminated the employment of the individual named in the filing,” the team said in a statement, per The Athletic.
Megha Parekh, the Jaguars' senior vice president and chief legal officer, read a statement on behalf of the franchise when Patel was sentenced in March.
"We gave him his dream job. We trusted him. We worked with him. We broke bread with him. We went through a pandemic and the highs and lows of the NFL with him ... He betrayed us," she said.
