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The personalized message Bryce Harper recorded in November 2024 for a man deep in gambling debt was purchased through video-sharing platform Cameo, and the MLB star did not know it would be used as part of FanDuel’s VIP bettor program, sources tell Front Office Sports.
In the video, published Thursday by The Inquirer, Harper, who is on the Phillies, tells a man named Terry that his VIP host “from FanDuel wanted to make sure your Thanksgiving was extra special. So I just wanted to hop on here and wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving.” Other than the reference to a FanDuel VIP host, Harper does not mention betting in the 21-second video, the bottom of which features the FanDuel logo.
FanDuel does not have a professional relationship with Harper, three sources tell FOS. All three sources say the video was purchased on Cameo. (Two sources told FOS a FanDuel employee bought the video; FOS can confirm that FanDuel and Cameo have a partnership under which Cameo videos can be purchased for VIP bettors).
Two sources say the FanDuel employee provided a script for Harper, and that he didn’t know exactly how it would be used. They say the video that was purchased was a personal video, not a business video, which costs more money and comes with commercial use rights; personal videos do not come with any commercial rights. A representative for Harper declined to comment, and a representative for Cameo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It remains unclear exactly how the Harper video was approved internally, or whether it was explicitly authorized by someone as part of the company’s VIP program.
Cameo shows that Harper’s personal videos start at $899 (athletes and celebrities choose how much it costs for their videos on the platform). He is not the only person affiliated with MLB who is on Cameo. For example, personal videos from Yankees manager Aaron Boone start at $395, and personal videos from Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas begin at $250.
The man who received the Harper video is Terry Thompson. In March, he and another plaintiff named Christopher Sage sued FanDuel, DraftKings, BetFair, and others, claiming they knowingly and intentionally coerce users into betting large amounts of money by using data to target them with “microbets,” also known as prop bets, which are wagers based on events like the outcome of the next pitch in an MLB game.
Thompson claims he lost $1.52 million on FanDuel and $336,000 on DraftKings. In total, Thompson, who says he has developed a “gambling addiction disorder,” says he placed roughly $18.5 million worth of bets on FanDuel, a large sum that explains why he became one of the company’s VIP bettors. The complaint says Thompson placed his first bet on FanDuel in late 2020.
The video went viral following The Inquirer story because it touched a nerve with people who see sportsbook VIP programs as predatory, especially for problem gamblers. MLB and the MLBPA have also received criticism. And while they do have partnerships with sportsbooks including FanDuel, there’s no indication they sanctioned this particular video. Representatives for both MLB and the MLBPA declined to comment.
In his complaint, Thompson notes that the FanDuel VIP host who was assigned to him suggested at times that he take a “brief” break from betting, including in 2022, when they recommended he take a “timeout” to enjoy the holidays with his family. However, he claims they soon continued “facilitating his gambling addiction,” including by offering bonuses and incentives.
A representative for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board told ESPN Friday that the organization is looking into the Harper video.
‘Industry’s Strongest Consumer Protection Initiatives’
A FanDuel spokesperson said in a statement the company “is committed to fostering a culture of responsible gaming and protecting our customers. 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.”
The Harper video is an example of a perk that VIP bettors can receive once they’ve reached that status, although it’s not clear how common it is for such videos to be purchased through platforms like Cameo. Video messages sent to customers are not uncommon across sports betting VIP programs, whether it’s FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, or others. Similar perks offered can include phone calls or video calls with famous athletes, according to multiple gambling industry sources.
The source familiar with FanDuel’s partnership efforts tells FOS there’s precedent for athletes recording videos for VIP bettors, with one example being a video recorded by former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. The same source says that FanDuel has had sports TV personality Kay Adams call VIP bettors. “In the VIP space, people play pretty loose and free with how they secure their clients being happy,” the source says. “It’s about how much of the FanDuel juice can be squeezed.”
FanDuel has previously said publicly that compensation for VIP hosts is not commission-based, meaning hosts aren’t financially incentivized to compel bettors to gamble more or make bigger bets.
These videos and phone calls are typically meant to remain private, sources say. It’s not clear how The Inquirer obtained the video.
Thompson’s lawsuit comes as there has been renewed scrutiny of sportsbook VIP programs, which reward high-volume customers with increasingly personalized perks intended to encourage continued use of a given sportsbook.
VIP programs are common, not just in gambling, but across many sectors. Sources in the gambling world have expressed frustration about the criticism sports betting VIP programs often receive.
“Loyalty programs aren’t that different from industry to industry,” one source in the sports betting world says. “They are designed to ensure people keep using your product, whether it’s a sportsbook, a specific credit card, or a particular airline.”
