It has been revealed that Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper sent a personal message aimed at encouraging more gambling to a FanDuel customer who later lost two million dollars, his home, and business, thanks to his gambling addiction.
The video was sent in 2024 by a FanDuel “VIP Manager” who was attempting to keep sports betting addict Terry Thompson engaged in betting with the sports app company, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
FanDuel reportedly maintains these “VIP Managers” to build personal relationships with high-dollar bettors and engage with them as if they were friends rather than just customers. Harper is taking criticism for being part of the enticement, playing into addiction. Now, ex-FanDuel customer Thompson says that the betting company went to great lengths to encourage him to continue gambling. He eventually lost millions and ended up in a psychiatric ward for gambling addiction.
In the personalized video, Harper addresses Thompson by name, speaks about the gambler’s son, and thanks him for his support.
Harper does not mention FanDuel nor is he wearing anything FanDuel-branded, but the video was marked with the FanDuel logo. It is also unknown whether Harper was paid to make the video or did it as a favor to the FanDuel VIP Manager.
Furthermore, it appears that Harper’s video doesn’t exactly break any Major League Baseball rules because the league allows players to partner with sportsbooks, prediction markets, and other gambling concerns. Further, Harper also does not speak about gambling and therefore is not heard urging any gambling on sports.
It is not known if Harper, who is known as a staunch Mormon, has done this for other FanDuel VIP bettors, or if this was a one-off incident. And neither Harper nor the Phillies would comment on the story. For that matter, neither MLB nor FanDuel did. In addition, there is no indication that Harper has a business relationship with FanDuel.
The special personal video with Harper was not the only enticement FanDuel dealt out to Thompson. The betting site also sent him free tickets to two Super Bowls and flew him out to watch the games. That and other perks were in constant flow as long as Thompson continued gambling.
The story is shocking for just how chummy Harper got with the sports betting app. It raises concerns about athletes developing relationships with sportsbooks and gambling companies, especially where those relationships might intersect with people who fall into gambling addiction, like Terry Thompson. While it is unknown if Harper was paid to record the video for the bettor, it still raises ethical concerns.
Ultimately, Thompson lost his home and business and was on the verge of suicide when a therapist urged police officers to respond to the gambler’s home after he threatened to kill himself.
“FanDuel is committed to fostering a culture of responsible gaming and protecting our customers,” said a FanDuel spokesman. “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.”
Thompson’s travails are part of a lawsuit filed by the Public Health Advocacy Institute against FanDuel and DraftKings, alleging that they use the VIP services to embroil gambling addicts in destructive behavior.
The lawsuit does not name Harper, the Phillies, or Major League Baseball.
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