fanduelA sports betting app is being sued for allegedly using VIP features to deepen customers’ gambling addiction. according to philadelphia enquirerPhillies star and two-time MLB MVP Bryce Harper sent a personal video message to Terry Thompson, one of two plaintiffs in the case, as part of FanDuel’s special treatment for big spenders.
FanDuel has hired VIP managers to build personal relationships with high rollers like Thompson, who has wagered $18.5 million with FanDuel since 2020. According to the lawsuit, he eventually took out second and third mortgages on his home, lost it to foreclosure, and sought psychiatric treatment for gambling addiction. While these companies often entice their top customers with Super Bowl tickets and other perks, the Enquirer could find no precedent for an active, star athlete like Harper sending such a personal message to a bookmaker.
In the 21-second video obtained by the Enquirer, Harper does not directly tell Thompson to gamble; However, he noted that Thompson’s FanDuel host wanted to make sure Thompson had an “extra special Thanksgiving”.
The video questions the poor relationship between professional athletes and gambling apps. MLB players have been banned from gambling – two pitchers, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, were convicted by association Last year, for allegedly taking bribes to repair pitches. However, MLB partners extensively with sports books and prediction markets polymarketAnd gambling apps are often advertised at ballparks and in broadcasts.
