Published on: August 26, 2025, 04:32h.
Updated on: August 26, 2025, 04:32h.
- Former Jaguars Executive Claims He “Illegally Borrowed” $22M for Gambling.
- Extravagant expenditures involved Tiger Woods’ putter and private jet rentals.
- Patel files $250M lawsuit against FanDuel, alleging addiction exploitation.
Amit Patel, who previously served as the finance manager for the Jacksonville Jaguars, claims that the $22 million he embezzled from the NFL franchise and subsequently lost to gambling constituted a form of “illegal borrowing.”
In an interview with CNN from FPC Montgomery, a low-security correctional facility in Montgomery, Alabama, Patel discussed the extent of his gambling addiction, which led him to squander most of the Jaguars’ funds on FanDuel’s daily fantasy sports platform.
“I was illegally borrowing money using the Jaguars’ company credit card. There was a voice in my head saying, ‘Just use the credit card. We’ll win some money back, and nobody will ever find out,'” Patel recounted to CNN’s Nick Watt.
Patel’s spending included extravagant purchases like Tiger Woods’ 1996 putter. He also shelled out $78,000 on private jet charters, nearly $600,000 at Apple, and over $40,000 at Amazon and Best Buy. He even acquired a condo in Ponte Vedra Beach for $265,000.
Conviction for Fraud
In March 2024, he received a sentence of six and a half years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court to charges of wire fraud and engaging in illegal financial transactions.
From 2018 to 2023, Patel acted as the sole administrator for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ virtual credit card system.
During his tenure, he misappropriated exactly $22,221,454.40 from the system by manipulating hundreds of transactions, either by duplicating legitimate charges or fabricating them entirely.
As of July 2025, Patel faces additional charges from the state of Florida, which could lead to a significant sentence increase. He is confronted with six counts of misappropriating over $100,000, with each count carrying a potential maximum penalty of 30 years in prison under state regulations.
Patel’s Lawsuit Against FanDuel
In the meantime, Patel has initiated a $250 million lawsuit against FanDuel, claiming that the sports betting behemoth exploited his gambling addiction.
The lawsuit alleges that FanDuel neglected to monitor suspicious activities and “relentlessly” encouraged his gambling by maintaining constant contact with a VIP host. FanDuel has not yet commented publicly on the lawsuit.
According to court documents, Patel was characterized as the “biggest loser ever on FanDuel.” Besides serving his prison term, he was ordered to pay $21.1 million in restitution to the Jaguars, who are considering the possibility of recovering the funds through FanDuel.