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<\/p>\nXuan Thai<\/p>\n
ESPN Senior WriterXuan Thai is a senior writer and producer in ESPN’s investigative and enterprise unit. She was previously deputy bureau chief of the south region for NBC News.<\/p>\n
Don Van Natta Jr.<\/p>\n
Close<\/a> Don Van Natta Jr.<\/p>\n ESPN Senior WriterHost and co-executive producer of the new ESPN series, “Backstory” FanDuel has agreed to pay the Jaguars<\/a> approximately $5 million to compensate for the nearly $20 million that a former Jacksonville employee stole from the team and then lost at the sportsbook, multiple sources familiar with the agreement told ESPN.<\/p>\n The sources said the deal was finalized in early 2025, more than a year after Amit Patel, a midlevel finance manager for the Jaguars, pleaded guilty<\/a> to stealing $22 million through a virtual credit card system the team used for expenses.<\/p>\n Sources told ESPN that the NFL encouraged the Jaguars and FanDuel, one of the league’s official betting partners, to come to a resolution but did not actively participate in the discussions. A source with direct knowledge of the agreement said FanDuel was motivated to pay the Jaguars in the interest of being a good partner with the league.<\/p>\n Editor’s Picks<\/p>\n 2 Related<\/p>\n The Jaguars and NFL declined to comment. FanDuel did not immediately respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n ESPN first reported in February 2024 that the Jaguars had asked FanDuel<\/a> to repay some of the money stolen by Patel. At the time, a source familiar with the discussions between the two sides said, “The way [FanDuel] see[s] it … we got this money fair and clear. It’s not our problem that we have to forfeit it back to you.”<\/p>\n Patel was sentenced<\/a> in March 2024 to 6\u00bd years for wire fraud and illegal monetary transaction and was incarcerated at a minimum-security federal prison in Alabama. He was moved to a Duval County jail in July when Florida state prosecutors charged him with one count<\/a> of organized fraud in the first degree. In Florida, that charge is punishable by up to 30 years in prison.<\/p>\n In July 2024, the Jaguars sued Patel<\/a> in Florida state court, asking for $66.6 million in damages. Florida allows for treble damages in civil cases.<\/p>\n In a recent interview with CNN, Patel said he “illegally borrow[ed] money by using the Jaguars company credit card” to bet on games, hoping to win and then repay the stolen funds. According to court documents, Patel transferred approximately $20 million to FanDuel and $1 million to DraftKings, where he was a high-stakes and high-volume daily fantasy player<\/a>.<\/p>\n In October, Patel sued FanDuel<\/a> in federal court, asking for $250 million in compensatory and punitive damages, claiming the sportsbook “exploited” his gambling addiction and intentionally ignored its responsible gaming and anti-money laundering protocols. Patel said in court documents that FanDuel should have known he was a problem gambler and that he made over 1,000 deposits with the sportsbook, each in the amount of $25,000.<\/p>\n Patel was diagnosed with a gambling disorder<\/a> in March 2023, a month after he was fired by the Jaguars, according to a court filing.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/van-natta_don.png&h=80&w=80&scale=crop.png\"\/)
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\nMember of three Pulitzer Prize-winning teams for national, explanatory and public service journalism
\nAuthor of three books, including New York Times best-selling “First Off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers, and Cheaters from Taft to Bush”
\n24-year newspaper career at The New York Times and Miami Herald Sep 12, 2025, 12:49 PM ET<\/p>\n