Report: Louisiana regulator drops gambling charges against Patriots player

Boutte, now a wide receiver with the New England Patriots, was arrested on gambling charges in January, per ESPN. State investigators found that Boutte bet on sports between 6 April 2022 and 7 May 2023. He was 20 at the time. Under Louisiana law, only those over the age of 21 are permitted to wager.

The ESPN report did not indicate why the gambling charges were dropped.

Boutte allegedly created a betting account on a legal sportsbook using an alias. He allegedly placed more than 8,900 bets, including 17 on the NFL and six on LSU during a 13-month span. The betting continued for a week after he was drafted by the Patriots in 2023.

NFL suspended 10 last year

It is a violation of NFL rules to bet on football and a violation of NCAA rules for student-athletes to bet at all. Last summer, the NFL suspended 10 players for wagering violations. All have been reinstated. Boutte was not among those suspended.

Boutte was a sixth-round draft pick and he played in five games for the Patriots last season. He had two receptions for seven yards.

At LSU, Boutte had an SEC-record 308 receiving yards on 14 receptions as a true freshman in a single game against Ole Miss in December 2020. Boutte, a five-star recruit out of high school, started five games as a freshman and led the team in receiving yards.

As a sophomore, he played in six games before missing the rest of the season with an ankle injury. He played in 11 games with 10 starts as a junior and was second on the team in receptions and receiving yards. Boutte declared for the NFL draft after his junior season.