A former New England Patriots player was arrested for illegal online gaming, which he reportedly wagered several hundreds of thousands of dollars. There have been some significant arrests in the NFL world this season, including New Orleans Saints wide receivers Michael Thomas and Chris Olave. Here is the report on what the former Patriot is being arrested for.
Former New England Patriots Player Arrested
Former LSU star and Patriot Kayshon Boutte has been arrested for illegally betting on sports while he was underage according to Louisiana State Police. He was booked in Baton Rouge on a felony count of computer fraud and a misdemeanor count of gaming prohibited by people under the age of 21.
BREAKING: Former LSU star and #Patriots Kayshon Boutte was arrested today on charges of illegal online gaming, reportedly wagering “SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS” per @WAFB.
“While he was still a minor, Boutte is accused of creating a fraudulent online gaming account. To… pic.twitter.com/dv1VswD4eZ
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 25, 2024
Statement By LSU
Here is what LSU said in a statement regarding the arrest:
In July 2023, LSU was made aware of allegations regarding a former student-athlete’s improper conduct related to sports gambling while enrolled at the University. Since then, we have fully cooperated with all relevant authorities involved in the investigation and will continue to do so. We have no evidence that any other student-athletes participated in these prohibited activities, and we are grateful for measures that detect and discourage sports gambling-related misconduct.
According to the report, Boutte placed over 8,900 wagers, with at least 17 on NCAA football games, and six on LSU football games. He was drafted by the Patriots in 2023, going for two catches for 19 yards in his rookie year. He was originally going to be back at LSU in 2023 after stating he would return but declared for the NFL draft just a few weeks later.
Problems With Illegal Betting
This situation will likely affect his career in the NFL, which other players have experienced before. Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley was an offender of a similar situation a couple of years ago and ended up serving a one-year suspension from the league. What do you think sports can do to effectively ensure that players do not make any offenses while sports betting?
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