New England Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte is facing serious legal trouble for a sports betting scheme.
The former LSU star was arrested and charged with computer fraud and wagering under the age of 21. Boutte turned himself in and was released Thursday on a $6,000 bond.
According to a Lousiana State Police statement, Boutte “used an alias to circumvent the legal age” to place more than 8,900 wagers, with at least six coming on LSU football, from April 6, 2022, through May 7, 2023, when he was 20 years old.
Boutte reportedly made more than half a million dollars in earnings, most of which he used to continue betting, according to NOLA.com.
Police said an online gambling company alerted them to Boutte’s actions, and an investigation that was launched in July 2023 is still ongoing.
Boutte could face additional charges.
Boutte, who played for LSU from 2020 through 2022 and in five games for the Patriots in 2023, allegedly used the name Kayla Fortenberry to create the sports betting account and used his mother’s bank card to fund it, according to WAFB.com.
“We are aware of this matter but have no further comment at this time,” the NFL said in a statement.
Betting on himself
Boutte wagered on at least 17 collegiate games and at least one in which he bet on himself, according to police. He bet that he would score at least one touchdown and go over 82.5 receiving yards in a game.
According to the warrant, Boutte deposited more than $132,000 into the account. He won more than $556,000 and withdrew $50,282.
“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,” LSU said in a statement. “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.”
Betting in college
NCAA student-athletes wagering has been brought to the forefront in recent months. Last summer, players at both Iowa and Iowa State were charged with underage sports betting with some of them using accounts created under their parents’ names.
The NCAA prohibits wagering on a player’s team or school with the punishment being the loss of eligibility, which doesn’t affect Boutte.
How his NFL career will be impacted is unknown. The pro football league also has its own strict, no-gambling policies in place.
