Fired Jags worker recognized for heavy DFS losses

Amit Patel, the previous Jacksonville Jaguars worker accused of defrauding the franchise of $22.2 million, was a high-volume, high-stakes each day fantasy sports activities participant recognized for racking up huge losses, in response to on-line information of his account and a number of sources conversant in his play.

Federal authorities allege Patel, 31, manipulated the Jaguars’ digital bank card program (VCC) and used the proceeds to fund a luxurious life-style between 2019 and February 2023, when the Jaguars terminated him. Throughout that point, Patel was additionally taking part in each day fantasy sports activities (DFS) underneath the username “ParlayPicker” on FanDuel and DraftKings, a number of sources with direct data of his account instructed ESPN.

Rotogrinders, a preferred each day fantasy sports activities and betting web site that tracks particular person gamers’ outcomes, exhibits ParlayPicker put practically $500,000 into fantasy tournaments on the NFL, Main League Baseball, PGA Tour and UFC since 2017. He usually entered dozens of lineups into fantasy tournaments with massive prize swimming pools, the web information present. However DFS gamers conversant in the ParlayPicker account consider his greatest losses got here from the high-stakes three-man contests they are saying he frequently entered. The contests have been towards elite competitors and had buy-ins upward of $24,000. Rotogrinders doesn’t observe such contests, and the outcomes and buy-in figures wouldn’t be included in its on-line information.

Patel’s legal professional, Alex King, didn’t reply to a number of requests for remark. He mentioned in a press release final week that his shopper suffers from a playing dependancy that fueled the alleged scheme.

“Mr. Patel didn’t use the Jaguars’ VCC to fund his life-style, however in a horribly misguided effort to pay again earlier playing losses that utilized the Jaguars’ VCC program,” King mentioned.

King mentioned within the assertion that “roughly 99% of the funds misappropriated from the Jaguars’ VCC have been playing losses, nearly all of which occurred” on FanDuel and DraftKings. King instructed The Athletic that Patel “guess on soccer” and each day fantasy sports activities. Particulars of Patel’s betting outdoors of his each day fantasy play are unknown.

Drew Crawford, an avid DFS participant, observed the emergence of ParlayPicker in recent times. ParlayPicker’s first play recorded on Rotogrinders was in 2017, and the information present his whole stakes risked on fantasy tournaments peaked in 2021 and 2022.

“He got here out of nowhere,” Crawford instructed ESPN. “Normally in our circle of DFS guys, we sort of know the identities of the fellows who have been taking part in at excessive quantity. They have been round for some time. However with this man, I bear in mind having aspect conversations with a few of my mates, who have been like, ‘Who is that this man? And what’s he doing?'”

Finally, ParlayPicker developed a fame for free play and rookie errors. Crawford remembered ParlayPicker submitting rosters that included gamers who weren’t within the beginning lineup.

Matt Smith, a widely known each day fantasy professional, instructed ESPN that ParlayPicker would “sometimes not even submit a lineup, regardless of it being a $3,000 buy-in.”

“My good friend and I texted forwards and backwards about how wealthy this man have to be,” Smith added.

As ParlayPicker’s play escalated and phrase of his missteps unfold within the DFS group, gamers made some extent of searching for out contests towards him, in response to a number of each day fantasy sources. One veteran DFS participant, who communicated with ESPN on situation of anonymity, mentioned they consider ParlayPicker is “the largest loser ever on FanDuel.”

“He was legendarily dangerous,” the particular person added.

DraftKings and FanDuel declined to remark.

Patel is scheduled to look in federal court docket Thursday in Jacksonville, the place he is anticipated to plead responsible to expenses of wire fraud and unlawful financial transaction. In his assertion final week, King mentioned that Patel is “deeply remorseful” and is in therapy for his playing dependancy.

The final event ParlayPicker entered that was tracked by Rotogrinders was DraftKings’ world golf championship on July 6 — 5 months after the Jaguars fired him. The buy-in was $29,000. ParlayPicker completed tied for 129th out of 150 finalists.