Drew Brees Causes New Jersey Sportsbooks To Stop All Bets On Citrus Bowl Over Violation
New Jersey sports bettors cannot wager on the Citrus Bowl because of Drew Brees. The 43-year-old Super Bowl champion was in direct violation of state regulations, whether knowingly or not.
Drew Brees is at fault.
On Friday afternoon, three days prior to kickoff, New Jersey gaming regulators ordered all sportsbooks to halt betting on the game between Purdue and LSU. It also said that all existing bets on the Citrus Bowl that were placed after Dec. 15 must be voided.
That was the day that Brees accepted a position with his alma mater's coaching staff as an interim assistant. That was also the day that he became in violation of New Jersey regulations.
Drew Brees ruins Citrus Bowl betting for all of New Jersey.
According to statute 5:12A-11 (f), athletes, coaches, referees or directors of a sports governing body involved with a specific game are prohibited from having "any ownership interest in, control of, or otherwise be employed by an operator." Brees is employed by an operator.
He became a brand ambassador for PointsBet, an online sportsbook, in June 2021 and received an equity stake. The former Boilermakers quarterback did a commercial for PointsBet as recently as December 3rd.
PointsBet, which operates out of New Jersey, ended its partnership with Brees on Dec. 22. That was seven days after he took the job with Purdue.
PointsBet would like to congratulate Drew Brees on his appointment as Interim Assistant Coach for the Purdue Boilermakers. While this is an exciting next step in his career, after careful review, we have decided to end our ambassador partnership agreement with Drew. Regulatory and legal compliance, responsible gaming practices, and the integrity of legal sports betting are top priorities for our organization and this decision will allow us to uphold that commitment. We wish Drew all the best as he returns home to his alma mater.
It is unclear as to whether New Jersey will overturn its ruling. However, as of Friday evening, any bets placed on the Citrus Bowl after December 15th will not count.
As dumb as it may be, Drew Brees is to blame.