FanDuel VIP program: lawmakers demand end after Harper video

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Representatives Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) and Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.) wrote to FanDuel on August 10, 2026, calling on it to shut the scheme down. Separate letters asked Major League Baseball (MLB) and the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) to bar players from promotional work for gambling companies. The dispute reaches beyond one video: it puts the VIP host model — account managers assigned to an operator’s heaviest-losing customers — in front of federal lawmakers while US state regulators are already drafting rules for it.

What did the lawmakers actually ask?

The letter to Genetski poses eight questions. Among them: whether VIP account managers have sent athlete videos or similar gifts to other customers, and how FanDuel monitors those managers to stop rewards reaching people already showing signs of harm. It also asks the operator to end the programme outright.

The trigger was Philadelphia Inquirer reporting on July 9, 2026: Terry Thompson, of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, received a 21-second greeting from Harper in November 2024, commissioned through the celebrity video service Cameo, as a reward for his activity. Harper says he did not know FanDuel was behind the request and has no affiliation with the sportsbook.

Why VIP hosts have become the flashpoint

“FanDuel should not be using reckless and unscrupulous loyalty programs to drive bettors into debt and addiction,” the three lawmakers wrote. (Office of Sen. Richard Blumenthal)

Thompson is separately suing. The nonprofit Public Health Advocacy Institute filed a claim on his behalf in March 2026 against FanDuel and DraftKings, alleging his host cultivated what he called a false friendship, supplying Super Bowl tickets and champagne as losses mounted. The allegations are untested; no court has found either operator liable.

Regulators were circling the model before the Harper story broke. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has proposed raising the minimum VIP age to 25, restricting host pay linked to customer wagering, and requiring affordability checks. Britain’s Gambling Commission has demanded affordability and enhanced due-diligence checks before VIP enrolment since October 2020, and still penalises player-protection failures — including a £150,000 fine over self-exclusion breaches in August 2026.

How has FanDuel responded?

FanDuel wrote back on August 14, 2026, defending the programme rather than conceding it. The reply, signed by Cory Fox, senior vice president of public policy and sustainability, said customers cannot enrol themselves; invitations follow screening on wagering volume, deposit patterns and account standing. Hosts are salaried, not paid on whether customers win or lose, and take quarterly problem-gambling training.

“Customer protection informs every decision we make as an organization, and we do not compromise when it comes to doing the right thing for our customers,” a FanDuel spokesperson said.

The letter makes no commitment to close the programme, nor does it address how a video from an athlete with no sponsorship deal became a retention gift. FanDuel has drawn state scrutiny elsewhere this year, including when Iowa fined FanDuel $95,000 over referee card betting.

What happens next?

The August 24, 2026 deadline is the immediate marker, though congressional letters carry no enforcement power. There is no federal gambling regulator in the United States; sports betting is licensed state by state. Binding change would have to come from regulators such as the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, from MLB and the MLBPA, or from the courts.

FAQ

Q: What is a sportsbook VIP program?
A: A loyalty tier in which selected high-volume customers get a named account manager offering bespoke rewards, tickets and hospitality. Customers cannot apply; operators select them.

Q: Has FanDuel agreed to close its VIP program?
A: No. Its August 14, 2026 letter defended the programme’s safeguards and made no commitment to shut it down.

Q: Did Bryce Harper endorse FanDuel?
A: Harper says he did not, stating he had no affiliation with the sportsbook and never authorised the message’s use as gambling-related material.

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This article is news reporting and analysis for informational purposes only. It is not betting or financial advice.