Patriots’ Kayshon Boutte arrested for placing underage sports bets
Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte was arrested by Louisiana State Police on Thursday as part of an investigation into illegal sports gaming.
Boutte is accused of placing bets using a fraudulent account while being a 20-year-old senior at LSU, with some of the wagers placed on Tigers games; gambling under the age of 21 is illegal in Louisiana.
The account in believed to be used by Boutte placed 8,900 bets from Apr 6, 2022 to May 7, 2023, with at least 17 placed on NCAA football games, at least six of those on LSU games.
According to WAFB, the wagers and payouts involved “several hundred thousand dollars,” though Boutte, now 21, never bet “against himself.”
“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.”
Boutte, who suited up in five games for the Patriots last season, turned himself in on a felony charge of computer fraud and a misdemeanor count of gaming prohibited for persons under 21.
He was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, posted a $6,000 bond and immediately released.
“The New England Patriots are aware that Kayshon Boutte is cooperating with Louisiana police regarding their investigation into an underage gambling charge while he was a student at Louisiana State University,” a team spokesperson told MassLive. “I don’t anticipate that we will be providing any additional comments at this time.”
The NFL has tried to crack down on its players breaking sports betting rules in recent seasons, with high-profile suspensions levied against multiple players.
Recover Calvin Ridley was forced to sit out the entire 2022 after he was found to have placed non-NFL bets on team property while a member of the Jaguars and the league handed out bans to five players, ranging from six games to a full year, last April for violating the league’s gambling policy.
“We are aware of the matter but have no further comment at this time,” the NFL said of Boutte’s arrest, per Ian Rapoport.
A sixth-round pick of the Patriots in 2023, Boutte caught two passes for 19 yards in 2023.
While at LSU, he served a one-game suspension for receiving money for an autograph before the NCAA’s overhaul NIL rules, per the Louisiana Advocate.
