Three members of Congress want Major League Baseball (MLB) and the players union to tighten rules that allow athletes to appear in sportsbook promotions after a personalized video featuring Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper was sent to a customer battling gambling addiction.
In an August 10 letter to Commissioner Robert D. Manfred and Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Bruce Meyer, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Reps. Paul D. Tonko and Valerie P. Foushee argued the episode exposed serious weaknesses in current policies governing player relationships with betting companies.
The letter refers to Terry Thompson, who was dealing with severe financial hardship tied to gambling addiction during late 2024. According to the lawmakers, Thompson received a customized video in which Harper wished him an “extra special Thanksgiving” and mentioned his son.
They said Thompson’s FanDuel VIP manager requested the message to encourage additional betting. The lawmakers wrote that Thompson ultimately wagered $18.5 million through the sportsbook, lost more than $1.5 million, took out multiple mortgages on his home, and sold shares in his business to continue gambling.
Bryce Harper case becomes flashpoint for MLB betting rules
Harper has strongly disputed any suggestion that he knowingly participated in a gambling promotion. Responding publicly after reporting by The Philadelphia Inquirer, he said he believed he was simply recording a holiday greeting through Cameo for a fan and had no reason to think it would be used commercially.
“In response to a recent article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, I want to provide the following facts,” Harper wrote.
He said the Cameo request came from a user identified only as “Bryttanni” and appeared to be a standard personal greeting rather than a business order. Harper said he read the requested script “in good faith.”
“FanDuel then put its own logo on the video and used it as a gambling promotion. I did not know FanDuel would do this, I did not consent to it, and FanDuel had no right to do it,” Harper said.
He added that he never would have recorded the message had he known how it would be used or anything about the recipient or “any alleged ‘partnership’ between Cameo and FanDuel.”
“Contrary to the Inquirer’s suggestion, I did not know the Cameo video would be used for a FanDuel VIP promotion, and I have no affiliation with FanDuel whatsoever,” he wrote.
The congressional letter argues that VIP programs cultivate close relationships with bettors and can become especially harmful when directed at people experiencing gambling problems. Lawmakers said online betting platforms give VIP managers repeated opportunities to target vulnerable customers with personalized marketing.
They urged MLB and the MLBPA to address the issue during collective bargaining talks, explain whether existing endorsement rules sufficiently protect fans, and consider banning personalized sportsbook marketing involving players. They requested answers by August 24.
At the time, a FanDuel spokesperson told ReadWrite: “FanDuel is committed to fostering a culture of responsible gaming and protecting our customers. Unlike illegal offshore sportsbooks, FanDuel employees are trained to recognize and flag signs of problem gambling and offer resources and tools, and we continue to review and strengthen our policies to ensure we have the industry’s strongest consumer protection initiatives.”
Featured image: dmbosstone via Flickr / CC BY-NC 2.0
The post Lawmakers urge MLB union to curb sportsbook promotions after Harper video appeared first on ReadWrite.
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
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