ChiefsAholic, a prominent sports bettor who had an “uncontrollable gambling addiction,” received additional prison time for bank robbery.
Xaviar Michael Babudar, popularly known as the Kansas City Chiefs superfan “ChiefsAholic,” received an additional 14.5-year sentence in Oklahoma. In total, he was sentenced to more than three decades, ESPN reported.
State prosecutors were seeking life in prison without parole.
What Happened with ChiefsAholic
In September 2024, Babudar was sentenced in federal court on charges related to the string of 11 robberies, or attempted robberies, in which he stole $847,725 in seven states, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Babudar, incarcerated in Colorado, might sue a sportsbook or group of sportsbooks over his gambling addiction. That’s what one of his attorneys told Gambling Harm in May 2025.
“Nothing substantive,” Tulsa-based lawyer Jay Swab said of plans for a civil suit against the sports betting industry. “We’ve been taking it one step at a time. This [the Oklahoma case] has been a big hurdle and weight on our client. [A lawsuit] may be a viable avenue later; we haven’t ruled one way or another on it.”
Long Odds for Success
A lawsuit from Babudar would join a growing list of similar cases against the online sportsbook industry for allegedly disregarding clear signs of gambling addiction in users in violation of state or federal law. Such litigation is an uphill battle.
In April 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that a New Jersey online sportsbook isn’t liable for the losses of someone suffering from problem gambling and addiction. The difficulty for an individual to prevail in a lawsuit against a sportsbook prompted the City of Baltimore to take matters into its own hands and sue two of the largest online sportsbooks over gambling-related harm.
ChiefsAholic would be in his 60s when he’s released, and he hopes to educate people about gambling addiction when he has a second chance at life.
“He is extremely remorseful and takes full responsibility for his actions,” Swab said.
“He intends to use every day he is incarcerated to better himself and has aspirations of telling his story and being a motivational speaker to help those who are negatively impacted by the addiction he suffers from.”
Hitting Rock Bottom
The federal government said that Babudar funded his celebrity status as a sports bettor and Chiefs superfan through the robbery spree.
“While parading as a social media celebrity, the defendant secretly engaged in a violent crime spree of armed robberies and attempted robberies across seven states,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “Babudar’s robbery spree bankrolled the expensive tickets and travel across the country to attend Kansas City Chiefs games while he cultivated a large fan base online.”
Babudar, 30, was sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Babudar to pay $532,675 in restitution. Authorities recovered some of the stolen money.
In a civil case, he was ordered to pay $10.8 million to a bank teller. That lawsuit reportedly was designed to prevent him from ever making money off his life story.
In February 2024, Babudar pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering and transporting stolen property across state lines. He also pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery.
Babudar, who was unhoused around the Kansas City metro area, had a large following as @ChiefsAholic, attending games dressed as a wolf in Chiefs clothing.
ChiefsAholic High-Stakes Bets
Babudar laundered much of the stolen money through area casinos and online sports betting, the federal government said.
When Babudar was arrested shortly after one robbery, he had a large bag that contained $150,250 in cash. When investigators searched his car, they found a Barstool Sportsbook betslip for $20,000 and a FanDuel Sportsbook betslip for $4,000.
Online sports gambling apps are designed to be habit-forming. Meanwhile, online marketing from the industry misleads and preys upon people, claimed a 2024 British study.
ChiefsAholic had also placed two bets at the Argosy Casino in Illinois, the federal government said.
In mid-2022, Babudar bet $5,000 that Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes would win the Most Valuable Player at Super Bowl LVII. Babudar also bet $5,000 that the Chiefs would win Super Bowl LVII.
Babudar won $100,000 when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2023 and Mahomes the MVP award.
Those wagers were just a few of many he placed over the years.
Devastating Gambling Addiction
One of Babudar’s attorneys wrote in a federal sentencing memorandum that his client had suffered a years-long gambling addiction.
“Xaviar’s luck ran out and the addiction of gambling became uncontrollable,” the defense wrote while seeking a 10-year sentence.
ChiefsAholic previously had some success with sports betting, but the gambling eventually caused harm.
Roughly two-thirds of NFL bettors report losing more than they intended. While Babudar’s case is an extreme example of gambling addiction, he’s one of many people addicted to sports betting, particularly the NFL.
For the 2024 season, Americans were projected to lose billions of dollars wagering on the NFL.
Babudar’s federal sentencing came just a couple of weeks after an accountant in Pennsylvania was sentenced to prison for stealing $1.5 million to fund his sports gambling.
There are seemingly endless cases of gamblers facing legal trouble due to addiction, with even some high-profile sports icons falling into the law’s crosshairs.
Image via Jim Walker/Twitter
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