Major League Baseball (MLB) and its players’ association are under increasing congressional scrutiny to limit endorsements of gambling enterprises by athletes, as lawmakers investigate the connections between professional sports and betting companies.

This movement has gained traction following an incident involving Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies and a FanDuel gambler struggling with addiction, prompting three congressional representatives to call for the cessation of FanDuel’s VIP rewards system.

The congressional inquiry follows a report by The Inquirer in July, revealing that a VIP manager from FanDuel sent a personalized video message from Harper to Terry Thompson, a resident of Montgomery County, in 2024. Ultimately, Thompson incurred $1.5 million in losses from his bets with FanDuel.

According to MLB’s collective bargaining agreement, expiring in December, players are allowed to participate in promotions or make public appearances for casinos, racetracks, or sportsbooks, as long as they do not promote betting on baseball itself.

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) along with Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D., N.Y.) and Valerie P. Foushee (D., N.C.) characterized the lack of restrictions on gambling promotions as a “systemic failure,” stemming from “the profound integration of leagues, teams, and sportsbooks.”

The trio of Democratic lawmakers addressed separate letters to MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manfred and Bruce Meyer, interim executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, calling for a halt to MLB and MLBPA policies that enable such exploitative promotions.

As MLB and the players’ association are in the process of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement, the MLBPA is advocating for expanded opportunities for players to secure endorsements from sportsbook operators and betting markets, as stated by ESPN.

Blumenthal, Tonko, and Foushee urged both MLB and the MLBPA to address concerns regarding their affiliations with sportsbook operators. The legislators emphasized that the organizations “must not permit players, no matter their awareness, to legitimize sportsbook VIP programs aimed at exploiting vulnerable fans.”

VIP Programs Under Investigation

Bryce Harper has stated that he recorded the 21-second message through Cameo and was unaware that FanDuel intended to use it as a reward for a gambler.

Earlier this year, Thompson contemplated suicide to avoid revealing his gambling losses to his family, according to a lawsuit filed in March by the nonprofit Public Health Advocacy Institute against FanDuel and DraftKings. The suit claims that DraftKings also offered Thompson VIP benefits.

Thompson alleges that his FanDuel VIP host would often inquire about his family and provided him with Champagne and tickets to two Super Bowls, with lawmakers asserting that VIP managers build “false friendships” with gamblers to entice further betting.

In a correspondence directed at FanDuel CEO Christian Genetski, the lawmakers demanded the termination of the sportsbook’s VIP rewards program. “FanDuel should not employ irresponsible and unscrupulous loyalty programs to lead bettors into debt and addiction,” Blumenthal, Tonko, and Foushee asserted.

The lawmakers pointed out The Inquirer’s findings, granting Genetski until August 24 to reply to eight inquiries concerning FanDuel’s practices. Questions included whether VIP managers have sent videos featuring other athletes or celebrities to gamblers and if the company supervises its VIP managers to prevent predatory offers to those with gambling problems.

A spokesperson for FanDuel stated that the company utilizes a monitoring system to discern troubling patterns, employing “trained specialists” to aid gamblers exhibiting signs of harmful behavior.

“Customer protection drives every decision we make as an organization, and we are unwavering in our commitment to act responsibly for our customers,” the spokesperson commented.