Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was arrested in January over allegations of illegal sports betting while playing at LSU, but charges are now being dropped, according to reports.
It’s been a tough matter of months for sports betting’s image, as the list of athletes involved in sports betting scandals added a number of names, including some very high-profile players.
Boutte wasn’t necessarily one of those high-profile players, but he played for a high-profile college program and is now rostered on one of the winningest franchises in all of sports.
Boutte charges dropped
The Patriots’ wide receiver and former LSU star was charged in January with computer fraud and wagering under the age of 21 for placing more than 8,900 wagers while in college.
Fast forward half a year, and ESPN reported Tuesday that Boutte’s charges were dropped in the state of Louisiana. Investigators from the Louisiana State Police Gaming Enforcement Division did find that Boutte had bet on sports from April 6, 2022 until May 7, 2023, when he was just 20 years old, by using an alias to get around the Louisiana sports betting age requirement for placing legal wagers.
The alias account associated with Boutte placed at least 17 bets on NCAA football games, including at least six involving LSU, among the nearly 9,000 total wagers made from that account.
Crossing the line?
According to police, Boutte continued to wager for approximately a week after he was drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The NFL’s gambling policy permits players to bet on sports but not on anything related to the league, and ESPN did not disclose whether or not some of Boutte’s wagers were on NFL events in that week-long gambling spree.
There were no NFL games happening the week after Boutte was drafted though, so it’s safe to assume that he didn’t be on anything NFL-related while he was officially an employee of the Patriots.
An NFL spokesperson told ESPN that the league has been following developments on the matter and that it remains under review, but Boutte can continue to participate in all team activities for the time being.
Patriot games
Boutte was recently a full participant in spring practices earlier this year, and Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said in May that the organization would “wait to hear from the league going forward” to decide if any further action needs to be taken in regard to Boutte’s status.
NCAA President Charlie Baker has been on a crusade against college player prop betting for several months now, accusing the legal sports betting industry of putting too much pressure on young athletes and compromising their integrity because of it.
Louisiana is now one of 30 states that will be prohibiting college player prop bets in response to this sentiment.
