Overview
- Three members of Congress — Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Reps. Paul Tonko and Valerie Foushee — sent letters on Monday, Aug. 10 to FanDuel, Major League Baseball and the MLBPA that demand FanDuel end its VIP program for bettors and require written answers by Aug. 24.
- Reporting shows a FanDuel VIP host in 2024 provided a personalized Bryce Harper video obtained through a Cameo partnership as a reward to a high‑value customer.
- Harper has said he recorded the 21‑second Cameo message without knowing FanDuel would use it for a VIP bettor and that he would not have made the video if he had known the company’s intent.
- A lawsuit filed in March by the Public Health Advocacy Institute alleges the bettor, Terry Thompson, lost $1.5 million, that DraftKings also offered VIP perks, and that Thompson contemplated suicide rather than tell his family about his losses.
- Lawmakers say the MLB collective bargaining rules that allow player endorsements for sportsbooks so long as they do not encourage betting on baseball are a loophole, and they warn the letters, the lawsuit and the Aug. 24 deadline could prompt regulatory oversight, changes in the CBA and tighter industry controls to protect vulnerable bettors.