New England Patriots star Kayshon Boutte has given a candid insight into his crippling gambling addiction and revealed how it nearly cost him his NFL career.
The wide receiver teamed up with The Players’ Tribune to pen an emotional essay – titled ‘How The Hell Did I Get Here’ – and pull the curtain back on his off-field issues.
Boutte, 23, revealed that his gambling addiction began during his time at LSU after he suffered an ankle injury and was sidelined for a prolonged period of time.Â
He explained: ‘I was 20. I was at LSU. Full ride. Whole future ahead of me. And I didn’t care at all.
‘Some people hit the slots, the tables, the apps, spend what they can spend, and go home — or put the phone down. Not me.Â
‘I’d wake up early in the morning, and the first thing I’d do was bet. I’d stay up late and bet. All day. All night. I had insomnia, so if I woke up in the middle of the night, phone next to the bed, I’d bet. Any little money I had, it was going straight to FanDuel.
Patriots star Kayshon Boutte has given a candid insight into his crippling gambling addiction
Boutte, 23, revealed that his gambling addiction began during his time at LSU
‘I knew I was addicted. When you lose, and you’re an addict, there’s this voice in the back of your mind like, No, no, no… I gotta get my money back. I GOTTA get it back’.
Boutte described ‘laying in bed, in the dark, in pain’ as he battled with his addiction and admitted that he lost touch with reality as he fell further down the rabbit hole.Â
The NFL star went on to describe the moment he ‘lost it all’.Â
He said: ‘I didn’t even have nobody to be mad at but myself. I was digging my own grave. One day, I shoveled that last little bit of dirt over my head – I had nothing left.Â
‘I gambled until I was completely broke. When it was all said and done, I put in around $90,000 of my own money, and lost it all.
‘At a certain point, when you hit rock bottom, every gambling addict has this moment when you layin’ in bed just seeing $0.00 on the app. And you know that’s your last’.
After hitting ‘rock bottom’, Boutte realized that something had to be done and credited his father for inspiring him to turn his life around.
The wide receiver also thanked the Patriots for ‘sticking by me’ after reports of Boutte’s previous gambling habits resurfaced recently.Â
‘How many of those 32 teams would’ve just walked away at that point? Especially from a sixth-round pick. But the organization knew my heart, and they stuck by me’.Â
The Patriots star revealed: ‘I’d wake up early in the morning, and the first thing I’d do was bet. I’d stay up late and bet. All day. All night’.
In January 2024, Boutte was issued a warrant of arrest in connection to an online gambling investigation, which alleged that he placed 8,900 wagers while underage.
In July 2024, all gambling charges against Boutte were dropped.Â
The shockingly candid revelation comes just days before the Patriots take on the Los Angeles Chargers in their first game of the playoffs.Â
This season, Boutte made 14 appearances for the Patriots, making 33 receptions for 551 yards and six touchdowns, building on an impressive season in 2024.
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NFL star confesses to crippling gambling addiction just days before he’s set to appear in the playoffs