The sports betting app FanDuel is facing a lawsuit alleging that it used VIP perks to deepen customers' gambling addictions, and a striking new detail has emerged: Phillies star and two-time MLB MVP Bryce Harper reportedly sent a personalised video message to one of the plaintiffs. The case matters because it highlights the increasingly blurred and controversial relationship between professional athletes, sports leagues and the gambling apps that court their most lucrative customers.

According to reporting by The Philadelphia Inquirer, plaintiff Terry Thompson has wagered $18.5 million with FanDuel since 2020 and was assigned a VIP manager to build a personal relationship with him. The lawsuit says Thompson took out a second and third mortgage, lost his home to foreclosure and sought psychiatric treatment for gambling addiction. In the 21-second clip, Harper does not explicitly encourage betting but references Thompson's FanDuel host wanting him to have an "extra special Thanksgiving". The Inquirer found no precedent for an active star athlete sending such a message, raising fresh questions given that MLB players are themselves barred from gambling even as the league partners extensively with sportsbooks.