Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper appeared in a personalized video for a FanDuel customer who has since lost nearly $2 million and is suing the sportsbook along with DraftKings. The video, reportedly created through the platform Cameo, has drawn scrutiny due to the growing relationship between athletes, leagues, and sports betting companies.
Terry Thompson, the customer featured in the video, is suing FanDuel and DraftKings, alleging their apps are designed to be addictive. The lawsuit, filed with the help of the Public Health Advocacy Institute, claims the companies "intentionally" and "defectively" designed their platforms. Harper is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
A source familiar with the situation stated that Harper is not affiliated with FanDuel Sportsbook and that the video was a content creation initiative involving Cameo. It remains unclear if such personalized outreach from athletes to high-spending customers is a common practice in the industry.
FanDuel provided a statement asserting its commitment to responsible gaming. "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," a spokesperson said.
In the video, Harper extends Thanksgiving wishes to Thompson and his family, referencing his "support through the years." Thompson's financial history, detailed by the Philadelphia Inquirer, includes losing $18.5 million in wagers with FanDuel. Thompson reportedly received VIP perks from FanDuel, including champagne and tickets to two Super Bowls, in addition to the video message.
The emergence of this video comes at a sensitive time for Major League Baseball. The MLB Players Association, of which Harper is a proponent, is seeking to outlaw player prop betting in upcoming collective bargaining agreement negotiations. Harper's involvement in the FanDuel video could complicate the union's stance against player-focused betting markets.
Scott Boras, Harper's agent, declined to comment when presented with the video. The Phillies and Major League Baseball also declined to comment on the Philadelphia Inquirer's original report. Thompson's financial struggles reportedly led him to take out second and third mortgages on his home, which eventually fell into foreclosure. He also sold shares of an investment company he had managed for two decades. Thompson has stated he was addicted to micro-betting, a form of wagering that has previously impacted MLB careers.