New Jersey’s gaming regulator Friday ordered sportsbooks to halt betting on the Citrus Bowl between Purdue and LSU because “a person associated with the Purdue football team” violated state regulations.
Sources familiar with the decision told ESPN that retired NFL quarterback Drew Brees, who signed on as interim assistant coach for Purdue in the bowl game, is the person concerned because of his business relationship with sportsbook PointsBet.
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement ordered the state’s sportsbook to stop accepting bets on Purdue football and said existing bets on the Citrus Bowl placed after Dec. 15 would need to be voided, according to the notice sent Friday morning and received by ESPN. Brees, a Purdue graduate, signed on Dec. 15 as caretaker coach for the Boilermakers at the Citrus Bowl.
In the notice, the gaming department did not name the person associated with Purdue, but said it violated Law 5:12A-11(f), which prohibits an athlete, coach, umpire or director of a sports federation from having “any property.” Having an interest in, controlling or otherwise employed by an operator.”
Brees became a brand ambassador for PointsBet in June 2021 and received an equity stake in the sportsbook as part of the deal. A week after agreeing to coach Purdue, PointsBet, which operates in New Jersey, announced it was ending its partnership with Brees.
“PointsBet would like to congratulate Drew Brees on his appointment as interim assistant coach for the Purdue Boilermakers,” PointsBet said in a statement released Dec. 22. “While this is an exciting next step in his career, after careful consideration, we have decided to terminate our Ambassador partnership agreement with Drew. Compliance with regulations and laws, 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 the best as he returns home to his alma mater.”
ESPN has reached out to the gaming department and PointsBet for comment.
The point spread scheduled for Monday at the Citrus Bowl has shifted from LSU -11.5 to LSU -14 over the past two weeks.