Former Jacksonville Jaguars employee who embezzled from the team to gamble alters lawsuit against FanDuel and others.
Amit Patel, the former finance manager for the Jacksonville Jaguars who embezzled more than $22m from the NFL franchise, has voluntarily dismissed his lawsuit against Fox Corporation and Boyd Gaming.
Patel had alleged that the media giant, a part-owner of FanDuel, contributed to his gambling addiction by offering incentives that encouraged excessive betting.
Court documents filed last week in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York revealed that Patel dismissed the lawsuits against Fox Corporation and Boyd Gaming without prejudice, leaving open the possibility of future legal action.
The notices of dismissal was filed through his counsel, Litt Law.
Neither Fox nor Boyd has publicly commented on the development.
Allegations against FanDuel and others
Patel’s original lawsuit, filed in October 2024, accused Fox and other defendants—including FanDuel parent company Flutter Entertainment, Boyd, and unnamed entities listed as XYZ Corps.—of exploiting his gambling addiction.
He claimed the defendants “actively and intentionally targeted and preyed” on him, which contributed to his misappropriation of the Jaguars’ funds.
In his initial suit, Patel accused FanDuel and its co-owners of enticing him to gamble more than $20m over four years. He alleged that FanDuel offered him over $1m in betting credits and exclusive experiences, despite being aware of his gambling addiction.
Patel claimed the company violated the Florida Deceptive Practices and Unfair Trade Practices Act by incentivising him to gamble and offering rewards, including reimbursed trips to major events.
Patel embezzled millions from the Jaguars by using the team’s virtual credit card (VCC) to fund daily fantasy sports (DFS) entries on FanDuel, as well as to finance a lavish personal lifestyle.
His purchases included a $95,000 Patek Philippe wristwatch, a golf putter used by Tiger Woods in 1996, which cost $47,113, and over $75,000 in private jet travel.
Patel sought $250m in compensatory and punitive damages from Fox and the other defendants in his October lawsuit.
Legal action faces imminent deadline
While the lawsuit against Fox has been dismissed, Patel’s claims against FanDuel and Flutter Entertainment remain active. However, court updates show that Patel has not served affidavits or taken further legal steps against these entities.
US District Judge Vernon S. Broderick has ordered Patel to either pursue a default judgment against FanDuel and Flutter or provide justification for maintaining the case by January 9, 2025. If Patel fails to act, the court may dismiss the lawsuit.
In March 2024, Patel was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of wire fraud and engaging in an illegal monetary transaction. The charges stemmed from his misuse of the Jaguars’ VCC to fund personal expenses and gambling activities.
Patel is currently serving his sentence at FCI Williamsburg in South Carolina.
As part of his sentencing, Patel was ordered to pay $21.1m in restitution to the Jaguars. Under his release conditions, he is required to repay the team $250 per month and will remain under supervised release for three years following the completion of his prison term.
In addition to the criminal proceedings, the Jaguars have filed a separate civil lawsuit against Patel, seeking $66.7m in damages for his misuse of team funds. The team has not commented on the dismissal of Patel’s lawsuit against Fox or the ongoing legal actions involving other entities.