MLBPA Signals Support for Ban on Personalized Athlete VIP Marketing After Bryce Harper Video Sent to Addicted Bettor

The Major League Baseball Players Association has told federal lawmakers it backs a ban on personalized athlete marketing for sportsbook VIP programs. The stance follows controversy over a video recorded by Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper that reached a FanDuel customer with a gambling addiction.

Harper recorded the 21-second clip in 2024 through the Cameo platform. A FanDuel VIP host sent it to Terry Thompson of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, who had lost $1.5 million wagering with the operator. Harper has stated he had no knowledge that the video would be used as a reward for a customer struggling with addiction. A March lawsuit filed by the Public Health Advocacy Institute against FanDuel and DraftKings alleges Thompson considered suicide rather than disclose his losses to family. The suit claims both operators extended him VIP perks.

Congressional and Union Positions

The case prompted US Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and US Reps. Paul D. Tonko (D-N.Y.) and Valerie P. Foushee (D-N.C.) to send letters on August 10 to MLB, the MLBPA and FanDuel. The lawmakers called the FanDuel VIP program predatory and urged MLB and the MLBPA to bar players from all gambling promotions, citing a systemic failure in the enmeshment between leagues, teams and sportsbooks. As detailed by Yogonet International, MLBPA general counsel Jeffrey Perconte responded that the union is prepared to add a VIP-marketing restriction to the collective bargaining agreement now under negotiation with MLB. Perconte noted the current agreement, which runs through December, already permits appearances for sportsbooks provided they do not encourage betting on baseball itself. He described that framework as a good-faith effort to allow responsible betting-related promotional activity while acknowledging it does not address VIP-style programs.

Operator Defenses and Broader Ties

FanDuel replied that it offers bettors tools to cap wagers and reviews betting history before granting VIP status. Senior vice president Cory Fox stated that VIP account managers are salaried employees whose compensation is not tied to customer wagering volume. The operator’s letter did not address whether similar personalized videos featuring other athletes had been sent. The reporting also notes that 15 of MLB’s 30 franchises now hold sponsorship or partnership deals with betting operators. The MLBPA continues pressing for a joint ban on proposition bets tied to individual performance, citing links to problem gambling, though MLB has rejected the proposal. Pennsylvania lawmakers are drafting measures to restrict VIP programs and in-game microbetting, facing opposition from the Sports Betting Alliance. Pennsylvania’s Gaming Control Board said it is reviewing the Harper video.

The episode underscores the tension between rapidly expanding sports betting partnerships and demands for clearer boundaries around high-value customer incentives.

Reporting: Yogonet International

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