Report: New Jersey sportsbooks strike Citrus Bowl betting due to Drew Brees
Come on, man. New Jersey sports bettors were thunderstruck on Friday when state regulators pulled odds for the upcoming Citrus Bowl matchup between the LSU Tigers and Purdue Boilermakers, citing a violation from “an individual associated with the Purdue Football team,” per ESPN’s David Purdum.
And who should be at the center of this controversy than former New Orleans Saints lightning rod Drew Brees? The electrifying future Hall of Fame quarterback stepped in to give his alma mater a jolt amid turnover on the coaching staff, with several of Purdue’s top playmakers bolting for the NFL draft. That includes their starting quarterback, so Brees’ presence should give them a nice surge for this matchup. His joining Purdue’s coaching staff on a temporary basis was announced on Dec. 15.
Unfortunately for the betting public, Purdum reports that Brees’ business relationship with the sportsbook PointBet violates state regulations. The New Jersey-based company partnered up with Brees in 2021 for a lucrative endorsement deal, in which Brees also received an equity stake in the gaming outlet. Having him endorsing a sportsbook while being involved with a team playing in a game featured on sportsbooks is a pretty clear conflict of interest. Brees was recently featured in a poorly-thought-out promotional stunt for PointsBet in which a hoax video depicted him being struck by lightning in South America.
A week after Brees’ hiring by Purdue was announced, PointsBet issued a statement on Dec. 22 saying that their relationship with Brees had ended in light of his joining the Purdue coaching staff:
“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”
That departure apparently wasn’t enough to satisfy the New Jersey gaming division, though, so now the Purdue-LSU Citrus Bowl is off-limits. Kickoff is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 2.
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