FanDuel Rejects Jaguars Request To Return Stolen $20 Million

The Jacksonville Jaguars officially requested FanDuel to return $20 million in stolen funds that were gambled away on their sportsbook. The operator has reportedly rejected their request due to having no involvement in the stolen funds. 

Amit Patel, a former finance manager at the Jaguars, has pleaded guilty to stealing over $22 million from the team. Patel used the team’s virtual credit card system to steal the funds over three years, evading suspicion from the team. According to the Jags, he lost around $20 million of those funds playing FanDuel DFS and on their sportsbooks. 

The NFL finally flagged Patel’s activity, leading the Jaguars to discover he had stolen over $22 million. The team pressed charges against their former employee, but most of the money was already spent on FanDuel.

The Jags made a formal request to FanDuel to have the funds returned. The team claims the sportsbook operator should have caught Patel's suspicious betting behavior. All online sportsbooks are required to have software to monitor suspicious activity and confirm bettors are who they claim to be. 

FanDuel does not believe they should be held responsible for the stolen funds. They say that they had no way to tell that the money Patel was spending was stolen, so they have no obligation to return the funds. Ultimately, they place responsibility for the $20 million squarely on the Jaguars and their inability to discover the theft.

While FanDuel has denied the request for a full refund, they are expected to continue negotiating with the Jaguars and the NFL to find a solution.

Patel Flaunted Money to Co-Workers

One reason FanDuel has rejected the request to return the funds is Patel's alleged behavior at work. According to co-workers, Patel was not shy about sharing his high-stakes sports betting and DFS ventures. The belief was that he came from a wealthy family, which funded his reckless lifestyle.

Patel’s co-workers also knew of his massive losses while betting with FanDuel. His massive losses were shared with his co-workers, who described him as the “biggest loser in FanDuel history.”

The former employee has pleaded guilty to stealing the funds and is cooperating with authorities.