Sports betting app FanDuel has been accused of using VIP benefits to deepen its customers’ gambling addictions. Phillies star and two-time MLB MVP Bryce Harper sent a personalized video message to Terry Thompson, one of the two plaintiffs in the case, as part of FanDuel’s special treatment for big spenders, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
FanDuel assigns VIP managers to build personal relationships with big rollers like Thompson, who has wagered $18.5 million on FanDuel since 2020. According to the lawsuit, he eventually took out second and third mortgages on his home, faced foreclosure, and received psychiatric treatment for his gambling addiction. These companies often lure top customers with Super Bowl tickets and other perks, but the Inquirer found no precedent for active star athletes like Harper sending bettors this kind of personal message.
In the 21-second video obtained by the Inquirer, Harper does not directly tell Thompson to gamble. However, he noted that Thompson’s FanDuel hosts wanted Thompson to have a “special Thanksgiving.”
This video calls into question the confusing relationship between professional athletes and gambling apps. MLB players are not allowed to gamble. Two pitchers, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, were federally indicted last year on charges of taking bribes to fix pitches. However, MLB partners extensively with sports books and prediction markets like Polymarket, and its betting apps are frequently advertised at ballparks and on broadcasts.
