OT—Former LSU WR arrested for illegal betting
https://www.nfl.com/news/patriots-wr-kayshon-boutte-charged-in-illegal-sports-gaming-scheme
Kayshon Boutte (now on the Pats, but prolly not for long) allegedly placed 8900 (!!) bets while in college under fake names, including 17 CFB games and two that he played in.
January 26th, 2024 at 7:25 AM ^
His last name is pronounced 'Bet'. Why did it take the authorities so long to discover the activity?
January 26th, 2024 at 10:27 AM ^
If this is true, I can't tell you how disappointed I am that it isn't pronounced "Boo-tay." Epic name. Also, I can't be the only one who thinks it's super funny he bet on himself to get over 82.5 yards and then didn't hit 20. This is a man who shouldn't be gambling.
January 26th, 2024 at 10:48 AM ^
Patriots website would say it is indeed:
"KAY-shawn BOO-tee"
January 26th, 2024 at 11:00 AM ^
I don't let facts get in the way of a whimsical joke :)
January 26th, 2024 at 7:25 AM ^
Things that make you go Hmmmmm.
January 26th, 2024 at 7:38 AM ^
Hard to tell if I should care without knowing whether he bet on his team to win or lose.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:03 AM ^
January 26th, 2024 at 9:07 AM ^
I'm sorry, I respect the shit out of that!
I think if you want to bet on your team winning, and especially if you want to bet on your own performance (and take the over), then please do!
also: you realize that this has gone on for decades and is going on now right?
January 26th, 2024 at 9:33 AM ^
And if a college player gets deep in debt while "betting on themselves" then what? You don't think it opens up unpleasant potential for throwing games etc...
January 26th, 2024 at 11:51 AM ^
Shoeless Joe and Charlie Hustle say hello...
January 26th, 2024 at 3:09 PM ^
Sure dude.
I should have added that they can't bet against themselves (i did mention taking the over). Winners don't have to throw games. lol
January 26th, 2024 at 9:21 AM ^
I was always told to "bet on yourself"
January 26th, 2024 at 10:15 AM ^
Oh shit. That feeling at halftime youre about to lose a lot of money because of something thats not in your control.
Could you imagine betting on yourself to score a TD when the entire offense is out of your hands? Or just as bad if you get hurt during that game?
January 26th, 2024 at 9:05 AM ^
What if he bet on himself to have under 5 catches and purposely dropped balls or ran wrong routes? If he did that against a cupcake team then winning the game wasn't in question.
I am a casual sports gambler and I'd bet there are players doing this right now. Maybe not this exact prop but there are several other bets you can place in a game that doesn't impact the score.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:07 AM ^
if not they will be eventually
January 26th, 2024 at 9:18 AM ^
Well then he'll be in even deeper shiznit if he did.
I get why it's illegal to bet on your own games even if you only bet on yourself or team to win/go over props such that you are not going against the spirit of competition, but I just don't care much about that betting. I'd rather people not bet at all, but hey, their choice.
On the other hand, if youre betting on yourself and team to do poorly and are incentivized to mess up/hurt your team, then that's a whole 'nother ballgame.
January 26th, 2024 at 1:50 PM ^
If you can't tell how you feel about this then you are a WWF fan.
January 26th, 2024 at 7:39 AM ^
I hope he at least bet on his own team to win.
January 26th, 2024 at 8:06 AM ^
Just wondering if it would be "bad" for a player to wager that his team not only wins a game - but also covers the spread. Woudn't that remove any question of point shaving?
January 26th, 2024 at 8:50 AM ^
No, because it would raise other questions:
1) Did the player (or his teammates) not go all out in previous games to save himself for this one?
2) Did the player have reason to suspect anything going on in this game (i.e., point-shaving by the other team)?
January 26th, 2024 at 9:10 AM ^
Yeah, I can't imagine that there is a "right" amount of sports betting that players or coaches can do that doesn't make outcomes untrustworthy.
January 26th, 2024 at 8:10 AM ^
There was this early celebration. Apparently it was still a TD because a teammate recovered the "fumble." There's no evidence that he bet on this game, though. I'm not casting aspersions here.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:12 AM ^
The teammate who recovered the fumble for a TD later found his tires slashed...
Seriously though, dropping a ball at the 1 would be the absolute dumbest way to point-shave so I can't quite believe that.
Then again, dropping a ball at the 1 for any reason is pretty unbelievably stupid... even though it's happened several times now.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:29 AM ^
I cringe when I see players drop the ball as they enter the end zone. It’s just pointless showboating. Creates a completely unnecessary risk.
January 26th, 2024 at 10:30 AM ^
No sympathy for those fools who intentionally drop the ball on their way into the endzone. That's just stupid.
Gotta feel bad for guys like Dalvan Cook who are just making the transfer and fumble it. At least that's not intentional.
January 26th, 2024 at 8:15 AM ^
He lost over $80K, which would have raised more eyebrows in the pre-NIL days. That's a strong indication that he wasn't using inside knowledge or shaving points.
It's astounding that he was ever caught, with well disguised usernames like kayshonboutty7 and kayshonboutty1.
Here's a report from a hated source, The Athletic$$, https://theathletic.com/5227988/2024/01/25/kayshon-boutte-gambling-arrest-lsu-patriots/?source=pulsenewsletter&campaign=8818501
January 26th, 2024 at 8:18 AM ^
I see he graduated from the Connor Stalions School of Covering Your Tracks.
January 26th, 2024 at 8:43 AM ^
Maybe he and Stallions should get together and brainstorm about how to cover their tracks a little better....
January 26th, 2024 at 8:46 AM ^
Does anybody have an idea of the type of sentence crimes like this carry? Also, is it actually illegal to place bets on the team you actively play for or just immoral/not allowed by leagues and conferences?
January 26th, 2024 at 9:02 AM ^
This was illegal because he was under 21 when he placed the bets. Louisiana allows sports betting, but you must be 21 and over.
It's probably not illegal in most states to place a bet on your own team, unless: a player has access to information the public does not; or the player is somehow fixing the game which defrauds the public and other bettors. It's not allowed by leagues because even the hint of this happening damages the leagues reputation, and allowing it even a bit is likely to result in match fixing. The NFL has a 2 year suspension for betting on your own team.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:19 AM ^
Not sure about other states, but in Michigan, it is illegal for anyone to place a bet on a competition they are part of.
432.413 Prohibited conduct; violations; penalties
Sec. 13. (1) A person shall not do any of the following:
.....
(i) Place, increase, or decrease an internet sports betting wager or determine the course of play after acquiring knowledge, not available to all players, of the outcome of the athletic event or any event that affects the outcome of the athletic event or that is the subject of the internet sports bet or aid a person in acquiring the knowledge described in this subdivision for the purpose of placing, increasing, or decreasing an internet sports betting wager or determining the course of play contingent on that event or outcome.
(3) A person that violates subsection (1)(b) to (i) is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a $10,000.00 fine.
January 26th, 2024 at 10:11 AM ^
Regarding your point on the NFL's two-year suspension policy for betting on games, its amazing to me that they take such a hard, firm stance on betting, but when it comes to crimes that you could definitively say are far more egregious (domestic violence, sexual assault) they are woefully inconsistent.
I guess it shouldn't be that shocking, as the NFL wants to protect and promote the idea that there is fair competition amongst its teams. Frankly I don't mind the punishment itself, but when you have situations like sexual assault which, in my opinion, are far more heinous and disgusting in nature, and the NFL can't seem to make a consistent judgment call, its just.....puzzling.
January 26th, 2024 at 11:09 AM ^
@Perkis-Size Me. ...I get it. For me, it's always a little weird that the team is supposed to mete out the primary punishment for assault, domestic violence, e.g. real crimes that there already exists a system to determine guilt and punishment.
Things like the integrity of the game are exactly what the leagues should be most concerned about.
January 26th, 2024 at 12:49 PM ^
A player always has access to info the public does not. He knows the game-plan. He knows which teammates are dealing with unreported injuries. He knows players' states of mind. He knows his state of mind. It's a very big advantage.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:16 AM ^
It's illegal because he wasn't 21 when he was making the bets. Betting (even on your own team) isn't illegal, it's just against NCAA rules.
EDIT: OS beat me to it.
January 26th, 2024 at 8:56 AM ^
Anyone thinking this is an isolated incident is incredibly naive.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:10 AM ^
Totally agree with this. Sports betting has absolutely exploded on college campuses. At the risk of sounding like a "Sit Down in Front" old guy, I've been uncomfortable with such a dramatic shift in the relationship between sports and gambling. When I was growing up, it was generally agreed that Pete Rose broke the only sacred rule that existed across all major sports...and he paid a significant price. Now Drew Brees is the spokesperson for PointBet and announcers in every game are talking about betting lines and spreads. Feels inconsistent to charge a kid with these crimes, when the state and sporting organizations are generating lots of revenue encouraging people to engage in sports betting.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:38 AM ^
I don't like it at all.
The celebrities that promote it should feel ashamed of themselves.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:40 AM ^
I do a bet here and there, nothing but loose change. However, the interaction with the apps is unsettling to say the least. Getting notifications and emails about free bets and profit boosters. I'm sure gambling addiction will be a massive problem for younger people in the coming years who are in over their head before they realize it.
January 26th, 2024 at 10:02 AM ^
Maybe NIL can bring positive change here. College players can now make fairly big money without having to resort to things like gambling on their own games.
January 26th, 2024 at 10:09 AM ^
I could see it having the opposite effect. Someone gambling all of their NIL money with the assumption of going to the NFL then leaving school with nothing.
January 26th, 2024 at 10:56 AM ^
Yes, I could see guys blowing their NIL money, including on gambling in general. But most athletes will agree that shaving points is wrong, and those who have done so have usually been feeling financial hardship. Maybe NIL can reduce that pressure.
January 26th, 2024 at 9:14 AM ^
So, how will the NCAA punish Michigan for this incident?
January 26th, 2024 at 9:24 AM ^
They will Catapult the investigation
January 26th, 2024 at 12:27 PM ^
Didnt you hear? The second Jim Harbaugh left the Michigan campus he is now a perfectly upstanding citizen that the NFL/ESPN/Fox sports cant wait to welcome with open arms. Those articles 90 days ago are just figments of all our imaginations. Cheating only happens when you put an OSU beating Jim Harbaugh with a U of M football team. That no longer exists so everything is fine now.
-OSU/MSU/Big Ten offices/NCAA/ESPN
January 26th, 2024 at 9:59 AM ^
You can get arrested for this?
January 26th, 2024 at 2:23 PM ^
I thought the same thing. Why is this a crime? You can go off to war, but you can't risk your own money betting on games. Literally a victimless crime.
January 26th, 2024 at 10:21 AM ^
Kelly should be expecting a 3 game suspension since, by ncaa rules, the head coach is responsible for everything at his program.
January 26th, 2024 at 12:29 PM ^
Well look like our chances of getting him have just gone up. I bet the suspension triples as soon as he signs his contract.
/s