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On July 9, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that a sports gambling addict named Terry Thompson had wagered $18.5 million with FanDuel Sportsbook, losing $2 million.
According to the article, it was clear that Thompson had a gambling problem, but FanDuel allegedly kept engaging him with VIP perks and access to big sporting events such as the Super Bowl in an effort to keep him betting.
And they even sent him a personalized video from none other than MLB star Bryce Harper himself.
“Hey Terry, what’s up brother? Hey man, your host Bryttanni from FanDuel wanted to make sure your Thanksgiving was extra special. So I just wanted to hop on here and wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving. Tell (redacted) I said hello. I appreciate all the support through the years. And I just hope you have a great day, enjoy it. And we’ll see you soon. Bye,” Harper said in the video.
That's where the controversy came in.
Forget for a moment that FanDuel apparently continued to encourage someone who probably should not be gambling to keep doing so. That's one thing. But why on Earth would a star baseball player be in cahoots with this gambling company?
Turns out he's not, or at least Harper denies any knowledge as to how the video was being used.
It was created and uploaded via Cameo.
Harper came out Monday afternoon to issue a statement regarding the controversy, which appears below.
“I joined Cameo to engage with fans through paid personalized videos. What happened here went beyond anything I knew about or approved. In November 2024, someone identifying themselves only as ‘Bryttanni’ submitted an order through Cameo for a personal ‘holiday video for Terry.’ Cameo had a separate category for business video requests, and at the time I did not know this video would be used for commercial purposes,” Harper wrote on his Instagram stories.
“The request included a short script. I read it in good faith. FanDuel then put its own logo on the video and used it as a gambling promotion. I did not know FanDuel would do this, I did not consent to it, and FanDuel had no right to do it. Had I known FanDuel’s true intent, I would not have made the video. The same is true had I known anything about Terry or his situation, or about any alleged ‘partnership’ between Cameo and FanDuel.Contrary to the Inquirer’s suggestion, I did not know the Cameo video would be used for a FanDuel VIP promotion, and I have no affiliation with FanDuel whatsoever. Counsel has directed me not to comment any further at this time.”
- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com
