Convicted Ex-Jaguars Employee Calls $22M Gambling Theft “Illegal Borrowing”
Posted on: August 26, 2025, 04:32h.
Last updated on: August 26, 2025, 04:34h.
- Ex-Jaguars finance manager says he “illegally borrowed” $22M for gambling.
- Lavish spending included Tiger Woods’ putter and private jets.
- Patel sues FanDuel for $250M, claims exploitation of addiction.
Amit Patel, the former finance manager for the Jacksonville Jaguars, says the $22 million he embezzled from the NFL team and lost gambling was a form of “illegal borrowing.”
Speaking to CNN from FPC Montgomery, a low security prison camp in Montgomery, Ala., Patel was describing how his gambling addiction spiraled out of control, leading him to blow most of the Jags’ money on FanDuel’s daily fantasy sports (DFS) platform.
What I did was illegally borrow money by using the Jaguars company credit card. The little voice in my head was like, ‘Hey, just use the credit card. We’ll win some money. We’ll put it back, and no one will ever know,’” Patel told CNN’s Nick Watt.
Patel also splurged on luxury items, including Tiger Woods’ 1996 putter. He spent $78,000 on private jet charters, nearly $600,000 at Apple, and more than $40,000 at Amazon and Best Buy. He also bought a Ponte Vedra Beach condo for $265,000.
Convicted of Fraud
In March 2024, he was sentenced to six and a half years in prison after pleading guilty in a federal court to wire fraud and engaging in an illegal monetary transaction.
From 2018 to 2023, Patel served as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ sole administrator for the team’s virtual credit card system.
During that time, he diverted exactly $22,221,454.40 from the program by falsifying hundreds of transactions, either by duplicating legitimate charges or creating fake ones outright.
As of July 2025, he is facing additional charges filed by the state of Florida that could significantly increase his sentence. He faces six distinct violations – each for misappropriating sums exceeding $100,000. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison under state law.
Patel Sues FanDuel
Meanwhile, Patel is suing FanDuel for $250 million in a civil case that alleges the sports betting giant exploited his addiction.
The suit accuses FanDuel of failing to flag suspicious activity and of “relentlessly” encouraging his gambling through frequent contact with a VIP host. The operator has not publicly responded to the lawsuit.
Patel was described by one DFS regular as the “biggest loser ever on FanDuel,” according to court documents. In addition to his prison sentence, he was ordered to pay $21.1 million in restitution to the Jags, who are exploring the possibility of recouping the money through FanDuel.
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