FanDuel, Jaguars Reach $5M Deal Over Employee Theft

FanDuel has reversed course and will pay the Jaguars roughly $5 million as partial compensation for the nearly $20 million that a former team employee stole and then lost betting with the sportsbook, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to Front Office Sports.

The news was first reported by ESPN. 

The agreement comes more than a year after FanDuel reportedly refused to pay Jacksonville any money, with the reasoning being that reimbursement wasn’t its problem. That has now changed. FanDuel was convinced to provide the Jaguars with some compensation after the NFL encouraged the two sides to reach a resolution, and the NFL did not “actively participate” in their talks, the source confirmed. FanDuel is one of the league’s official betting sponsors.

The agreement was reached earlier this year, according to ESPN. It is unclear whether the $5 million payment has already been made. 

The NFL and FanDuel declined to comment, and a representative for the Jaguars did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In December 2023, former Jaguars employee Amit Patel was charged in Florida with using a team-issued virtual credit card to support his lavish lifestyle and gambling addiction. He has since pleaded guilty to stealing roughly $22 million through an online credit card system that Jacksonville uses for expenses. Almost all of his losses stem from playing daily fantasy sports. ESPN reported Patel lost around $20 million on FanDuel and $1 million on DraftKings.

Patel was sentenced to six and a half years in prison last March. Later that year, in October 2024, Patel sued FanDuel over claims the company “preyed” on his gambling addiction. Patel seeks $250 million in damages over allegations of negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

That case remains ongoing. Most recently, in March of this year, FanDuel sought to have his case dismissed. Patel’s attorney in that lawsuit did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the deal between FanDuel and the Jaguars.

The Jaguars also sued Patel himself for $66 million.