FanDuel Sent Bryce Harper Video to $1.5 Million-Losing VIP Gambler
Updated
Updated · The Philadelphia Inquirer · Jul 10
FanDuel Sent Bryce Harper Video to $1.5 Million-Losing VIP Gambler
3 articles · Updated · The Philadelphia Inquirer · Jul 10
Summary
A 21-second Bryce Harper video, branded with FanDuel’s logo and naming Thompson’s VIP host, was sent in November 2024 after Terry Thompson had already fallen deep into gambling debt.
Thompson ultimately wagered $18.5 million on FanDuel, earning VIP perks including champagne, Super Bowl trips and game tickets that his lawsuit says kept him betting despite clear signs of addiction.
MLB, the Phillies and Harper’s agent declined comment, but sports-law and agent experts said an active player delivering a personal message to a sportsbook VIP appears highly unusual and ethically troubling.
The episode feeds a March lawsuit in Philadelphia alleging FanDuel and DraftKings use VIP programs to maximize addiction; Thompson says he lost nearly $2 million, faced foreclosure and later entered psychiatric treatment.
The case highlights how far baseball has moved since the 2018 sports-betting ruling: MLB now permits some sportsbook promotional work even as gambling scandals and scrutiny of betting-industry practices keep growing.