New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte will not be prosecuted after he faced charges related to illegal online gambling that authorities say took place while he was underage and playing football at LSU.
First Assistant District Attorney Tracey Barbera said this decision was made partially because the receiver has finished a ‘gambling awareness’ mitigation program.
Barbera also made it clear that Boutte did not bet against himself or against his team – and that his behavior did not cause the financial losses of other people.
‘Betting against himself would be the only way that he could control the bet,’ Barbera told The Associated Press. ‘He can guarantee a dropped ball, but he can’t guarantee a reception or a touchdown.’
In addition to the gambling mitigation program, Boutte has agreed to a ban from gambling in the state of Massachusetts on the FanDuel and BET99 online sites.
New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (80) won’t be facing gambling charges
Boutte has already gone through a ‘gambling awareness’ mitigation program
‘In light of his mitigatory actions, we do not believe a felony prosecution is appropriate,’ said Barbera, who also praised the Louisiana State Police investigation which led to the charges.
In spite of not facing any prosecution, the NFL could still decide to suspend or fine Boutte. It’s unclear if the league will pursue this action.
‘We have been following developments in the matter, which remains under review,’ the NFL said Tuesday in a statement provided by league spokesman Brian McCarthy. ‘He may continue to participate in all team activities.’
The Patriots declined to comment on Tuesday’s development.
Boutte was arrested back in January after state police say he created an online betting account under a false name and placed thousands of illegal bets.
That includes 17 on college football games – with six of those games involving LSU. He also bet on himself in one game.
These bets violated state law against wagers being placed by a ‘prohibited player’.
Boutte is a native of New Iberia, Louisiana and a graduate of Westgate High School. He spent three years in Baton Rouge as a wide receiver, playing in 27 games and starting in 21 of them.
Boutte was accused of placing thousands of bets under an account with a fake name at LSU
Boutte was picked by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft with the 187th selection.
His first season saw minimal on-field time as he only played in five games and caught two passes for 19 yards.
It’s expected that Boutte will be in a tough competition in order to make the Patriots’ roster when training camp opens next week.
Boutte was in attendance during New England’s offseason working program earlier this year.
New coach Jerod Mayo said back in May that they were waiting to see if the league would rule further on Boutte’s case.
‘Right now, he is out here. We will wait to hear from the league going forward, but he´s out here,’ Mayo said. ‘He is doing a good job for us.’
