Sources - FanDuel to pay Jaguars $5M over stolen betting funds - ESPN

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, 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