Ex-Jackson Jaguars employee's lawsuit to go to arbitration

A lawsuit brought by a former Jackson Jaguars employee is set to go to arbitration, a federal judge ruled. The NFL team’s former finance director, Amit Patel, was sentenced to six and a half years in a federal prison in March 2024, and he has since sought to strike back against FanDuel, the company that he alleges stoked his gambling habit.

Patel ended up embezzling more than $22m from his team and spent the money to fuel his gambling habit between 2018 and 2023. His position within the franchise gave him access to funds, which he continued to syphon off millions of dollars, with the missing money remaining hidden for years. Several months after his sentence was handed down, Patel filed a lawsuit of his own against the sportsbook, seeking $250m in damages, and claiming that FanDuel had preyed on his vulnerability. The judge argued in a ruling shared on May 7 that the case should be resolved by an arbitrator, citing that the issue Patel had raised in his lawsuit was in the purview of the company’s terms and conditions and that the court could not weigh in on the issue. The judge argued that Patel had agreed to the company’s terms and conditions by registering, and that the terms stated that cases such as his have to be resolved by an arbitrator.

Arbitration means that FanDuel would not face further public scrutiny, as these are private proceedings. During his trial, Patel’s gambling addiction was acknowledged, but prosecutors also pointed out that he made profligate purchases, including a Ponte Vedra Beach condo and private jet charters. When he was sentenced in 2024, Patel was also ordered to pay restitution to the Jaguars worth $21.1 million. Patel is also facing a counter-lawsuit by his former employer, seeking $66.6m.