FanDuel sued after sending Bryce Harper video to gambler

A major sports betting company is facing a lawsuit and intense scrutiny after it sent a personalized video message from Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper to a customer struggling with a severe gambling addiction. The video, sent as a Thanksgiving 2024 perk, has ignited a debate about the ethics of VIP programs in the online gambling industry and the increasingly complex relationship between professional sports leagues and sportsbooks.

The customer, Terry Thompson, is a plaintiff in a lawsuit against FanDuel and DraftKings, alleging the companies designed their apps to be "addiction-amplifying" machines and used VIP treatment to fuel his compulsive betting. According to the lawsuit, Thompson wagered $18.5 million with FanDuel since 2020, losing approximately $2 million. To cover his losses, he took out second and third mortgages on his home, which later fell into foreclosure, and sold shares from an investment company he ran. His financial distress reportedly became so severe that he texted his therapist about self-harm, leading the therapist to contact police, who intervened at his home. Thompson has since entered psychiatric treatment.

As a high-volume bettor, Thompson...