Breaking: NFL to look into claims made by Patriots wide receiver that he…

NFL to look into claims made by Patriots wide receiver that he placed 8,927 wagers during a 13-month period while attending LSU

The NFL announced on Tuesday that it will be looking into New England Patriots rookie wideout Kayshon Boutte, who was arrested last week by the Louisiana State Police in connection with a 13-month period of alleged sports gambling while in that state. The first Super Bowl in Las Vegas’ history will take center stage over the next two weeks.

Authorities in Louisiana said that Boutte made at least 8,927 online wagers between April 6, 2022 and May 7, 2023, during his last season as an LSU player, according to a warrant for his arrest that was issued. Boutte was 20 years old and was not permitted to gambling in the state at the time of the alleged wagers. Additionally, according to the authorities, 17 of the wagers were placed on NCAA football games, six of which included LSU.

There haven’t been any claims to date that Boutte wagered against him or LSU, which may have been seen as an attempt at game-fixing. Boutte turned himself in to state police last week, when he was charged with misdemeanor gaming under the age of 21 and felony computer fraud.

Jeff Miller, the executive vice president of communications, public relations, and policy for the NFL, announced on Tuesday that Boutte will also be the subject of an inquiry by the organization. During a conference call with reporters centered on the league’s continuous efforts to improve sports wagering regulations and conduct, he revealed the news.

Miller said that they were aware of the Boutte incident. “An investigation into it is still ongoing. We promise to keep you informed when there’s news to report. There is definitely enough there for us to look into and pursue an investigation, though I can’t tell you what the inquiry’s conclusion would be.

While the NFL’s personal conduct policy remains ambiguous when it comes to retroactively punishing players for events that occurred prior to their time in the league, coaches, players, and other personnel have been subjected to scrutiny for actions taken prior to their employment with teams or the league office. The league’s personal conduct code was specifically amended in 2023 to encompass off-field behavior prior to NFL employment.

On Tuesday, a league source informed Yahoo Sports that the NFL’s ongoing investigation into Boutte will look into any action that occurred during his present employment with the Patriots, not only the charges against him in Louisiana.

“I would expect it to be expansive and up to date,” the source said.

The news of the league’s involvement in the Boutte inquiry comes at an interesting time for the league, which will be scrutinized over the next two weeks with its first Super Bowl in Las Vegas. As it is, the league and its teams have a wide range of gambling advertising, sponsorship, and licensing agreements in place, creating a narrow line between the NFL’s revenue streams and what it currently deems to be “no fly zones” of sports wagering. That has been on show during the last two seasons, with a slew of players punished for gambling, including ten during the summer.

On Tuesday, Miller and the league attempted to reiterate the extended work they are doing to “safeguard” the integrity of the game while also making their policies plain to staff. During Super Bowl week, all San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs players and league employees will be barred from gambling. This applies to all types of gambling, including sports wagering.