Lawmakers are pressing FanDuel to provide about 30 personalized celebrity videos sent to VIP gamblers, amid concerns these messages may have encouraged at-risk betting behaviors. This follows a revelation that baseball star Bryce Harper recorded a greeting for a customer, who lost $1.5 million gambling on the platform. Harper claimed he was unaware his video would be used in promotion and stated he wouldn’t have consented to it.
Senator Richard Blumenthal and Representatives Paul Tonko and Valerie Foushee have set a deadline for FanDuel to disclose details about the recipients and their gambling histories. The inquiry comes as part of a broader investigation into FanDuel’s VIP program, which provides personalized perks to high-stakes gamblers.
FanDuel has acknowledged sending the videos as tokens of appreciation but denied using them to promote further gambling. However, lawmakers question this assertion and are seeking clarity on how the company uses customer data, particularly regarding potential problem gamblers. FanDuel’s VIP staff claims to be trained to recognize signs of gambling harm and insists their program is focused on customer retention rather than promoting excessive betting.
