The former Jacksonville Jaguars employee who embezzled over $22 million from the NFL franchise to furnish a luxury lifestyle and gamble is dismissing his lawsuit against Fox.
According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Amit Patel has voluntarily dismissed his lawsuit against FanDuel part-owner Fox Corporation for allegedly fostering his gambling addiction by incentivizing play. Patel, who is also suing Flutter, Boyd Gaming and XYZ Corps., has voluntarily dismissed the suit without prejudice making it a potential long-standing issue for Fox Corp.
The former finance manager gave notice of the dismissal through his council, Litt Law.
In his initial suit filed in October 2024, Patel claims FanDuel and the other defendants “actively and intentionally targeted and preyed” on him leading him to gamble more than $20 million over four years. Patel embezzled millions using the team’s virtual credit card to fund DFS entries on FanDuel and purchase luxury personal items and vacations.
The items included a $95,000 Patek Philippe wristwatch and a putter used by golf legend Tiger Woods in 1996 that sold for $47,113. Patel also spent over $75,000 on private jets.
In his initial suit, Patel claimed FanDuel offered him more than a million dollars in credits and unique experiences despite being aware of his gambling addiction. He alleged FanDuel knew about his gambling problem through its collection of data. Patel claimed FanDuel violated the Florida Deceptive Practices and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
He alleges the operator and the defendants named in the initial lawsuit violated the law by offering him enticements to gamble, which include reimbursed trips to major events.
Patel originally sought $250 million in compensatory and punitive damages from Fox Corp. and the other defendants initially named in the suit.
FanDuel and Flutter could be next
The former Jags employee has made claims against FanDuel and Flutter but has “not filed affidavits of service or taken any other action to prosecute this case against defendants FanDuel and Flutter Entertainment, who have not appeared or responded to the complaint,” according to court documents. U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick has ordered Patel to seek a default judgment against Flutter and FanDuel by Jan. 9.
If Patel does not submit a letter by Jan. 9 justifying why the suit against FanDuel and Flutter should not be dismissed then Broderick has the authority to dismiss the case.
SBC Americas reached out to FanDuel for comment but the operator has yet to respond to the request.
Legal consequences for Patel
Patel was sentenced to more than six years in prison in March 2024 after pleading guilty to charges related to wire fraud and engaging in an illegal monetary transaction for his misuse of the Jaguars’ team VCC. He has also been ordered to pay $21.1 million in restitution. He is currently serving his 78-month sentence at FCI Williamsburg in South Carolina.
According to release conditions, Patel is ordered to pay the Jaguars $250 a month as a repayment plan. He will also be under supervised release for three years after prison.
The Jags have also sued for $66.7 million Patel for his misuse of the team’s funds.
