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Xuan Thai
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Don Van Natta Jr.
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Don Van Natta Jr.
ESPN Senior Writer
- Host and co-executive producer of the new ESPN series, “Backstory”
- Member of three Pulitzer Prize-winning teams for national, explanatory and public service journalism
- Author of three books, including New York Times best-selling “First Off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers, and Cheaters from Taft to Bush”
- 24-year newspaper career at The New York Times and Miami Herald
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 deposited 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.
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.
The Jaguars and NFL declined to comment. FanDuel did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
ESPN first reported in February 2024 that the Jaguars had asked FanDuel to repay some of the money stolen by Patel. At the time, a source familiar with the discussions between the two sides said, “The way [FanDuel] see[s] it … we got this money fair and clear. It’s not our problem that we have to forfeit it back to you.”
Patel was sentenced in March 2024 to 6½ years for wire fraud and illegal monetary transaction and was incarcerated at a minimum security federal prison in Alabama. He was moved to a Duval County jail in July when Florida state prosecutors charged him with one count of organized fraud in the first degree. In Florida, that charge is punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
In July 2024, the Jaguars sued Patel in Florida state court, asking for $66.6 million in damages. Florida allows for treble damages in civil cases.
In a recent interview with CNN, Patel said he “illegally borrow[ed] money by using the Jaguars company credit card” to bet on games, hoping to win and then repay the stolen funds. According to court documents, Patel transferred approximately $20 million to FanDuel and $1 million to DraftKings, where he was a high-stakes and high-volume daily fantasy player.
In October, Patel sued FanDuel in federal court, asking for $250 million in compensatory and punitive damages, claiming the sportsbook “exploited” his gambling addiction and intentionally ignored its responsible gaming and anti-money laundering protocols. Patel said in court documents that FanDuel should have known he was a problem gambler and that he made over 1,000 deposits with the sportsbook, each in the amount of $25,000.
Patel was diagnosed with a gambling disorder in March 2023, a month after he was fired by the Jaguars, according to a court filing.
Federal authorities disputed Patel’s claim that his behavior was fueled by a gambling addiction. They said in a court filing that, while employed with the Jaguars, Patel lived an extravagant lifestyle that included chartering private jets, reserving luxury hotels, acquiring multiple vehicles, and purchasing cryptocurrency, a country club membership, spa treatments and a luxury wristwatch.
