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FanDuel Defends VIP Program Following Backlash Over Bryce Harper Video
Posted on: August 17, 2026, 09:27h.
Last updated on: August 17, 2026, 11:48h.
Key Points
- FanDuel defended its responsible gaming practices after lawmakers questioned why a VIP bettor with a $1.5 million gambling problem received a personalized Bryce Harper video
- The sportsbook did not directly address the video, instead highlighting its responsible gaming technology, spending limits, timeouts, and self-exclusion tools
- FanDuel says VIP customers receive more oversight, while its VIP program rewards high-volume bettors with account managers and other perks
FanDuel is defending its responsible gaming practices after three congressional Democrats demanded answers about why a VIP sports bettor struggling with gambling addiction received a personalized Thanksgiving message from MLB superstar Bryce Harper.
The sportsbook did not address the controversial video directly, instead pointing to its industry-leading responsible gaming tools and technology.
A Philadelphia man who lost more than $1.5 million betting on FanDuel by gambling away his savings and taking out several mortgages on his home says in a court filing that he was trying to quit when he received the video from the Philadelphia Phillies slugger in Thanksgiving 2024.
In the message, Harper thanked the man for his support and wished him and his family, by name, an “extra special” holiday.
FanDuel did not explain how a bettor whose addiction was spiraling out of control was targeted by its VIP team. Instead, the sportsbook cited its commitment to responsible gaming.
“At FanDuel, we take seriously our responsibility to operate in a manner that is accountable, transparent, and worthy of the trust our customers and regulators place in us,” Cory Fox, FanDuel’s senior vice president of public policy and sustainability, wrote to Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Reps. Paul Tonko (NY) and Valerie Foushee (NC).
Fox highlighted FanDuel parent Flutter Entertainment’s $158 million spend on responsible gaming in 2025. The executive also cited the sportsbook’s responsible gaming technology and tools made available to every bettor and how the company identifies and responds to at-risk behavior.
FanDuel VIP Program
FanDuel and other sportsbooks assign VIP hosts for bettors who bet large volumes on the online platforms. Hosts, or personal account managers, are assigned to the book’s most coveted customers.
Account managers are tasked with interacting with the bettor to keep them playing. Blumenthal, Tonko, and Foushee said in their letter to FanDuel that hosts foster “false friendships” and provide perks to the sportsbook’s biggest losers to keep them “distracted” from their financial costs.
In response, Fox said VIP status comes with “more oversight, not fewer safeguards.”
“Managers proactively discuss tools such as MySpend, limit setting, timeouts, and self-exclusion, and every email they send includes responsible gaming language and direct access to FanDuel’s responsible gaming tools. Interactions between VIP customers and Account Managers also provide FanDuel with additional means to identify signs of problematic play that may not be readily apparent with customers that do not participate in the program,” Fox wrote.
“Together, these measures give VIP customers additional attention and access to responsible gaming resources without changing the standards that apply to their play,” Fox continued.
FanDuel VIP Status
So, what does it take to be assigned a FanDuel host?
There’s no application form to become a VIP. Instead, FanDuel extends invitations based on a bettor’s volume of wagering, consistency, deposit frequency, account standing, and bankroll.
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