FanDuel settles $5m with Jacksonville Jaguars over former employee fraud

The agreement addresses funds stolen by ex-financial manager Amit Patel, who diverted nearly $20m to FanDuel accounts.

FanDuel reached a $5m settlement with the Jacksonville Jaguars over funds a former team employee stole and deposited at the sportsbook.

The case involves former Jaguars financial manager Amit Patel, who pleaded guilty last year to stealing $22m through misuse of a virtual credit card program used for team expenses.

Of the stolen amount, nearly $20m was transferred to FanDuel accounts. The sportsbook is an official gambling partner of the National Football League (NFL) and both parties sought a resolution without litigation.

Patel is serving a six-and-a-half-year federal prison sentence in South Carolina. In October 2024, he filed a lawsuit against FanDuel seeking $250m. He alleged the company failed to enforce responsible gambling and anti-money laundering protocols, accepted wagers from him despite his status as an NFL employee and overlooked the scale of his betting activity.

Good to know: FanDuel appointed Keith Whyte as Responsible Gaming Strategic Advisor in early September

The Jaguars separately sued Patel in July 2024, seeking more than $66m in damages. Court filings in Patel’s criminal case stated that he controlled the team’s financial records and its virtual credit card system. 

Prosecutors said he inflated or duplicated charges for catering, travel, and lodging and created false transactions that appeared valid. The fraudulent activity took place between September 2019 and February 2023, when one of his bets drew the league’s attention.

Alex Rivera

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My goal is to explain how gaming, esports, and betting intersect in ways that readers can actually understand, without stripping away the entertainment that makes the space compelling.

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