A personalized celebrity video can look like a reward for a loyal customer. In a sportsbook’s VIP program, it can also become a reason to keep betting. Three members of Congress are asking FanDuel for the records needed to distinguish between those possibilities.
Corey Sharp reports for Legal Sports Report that Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Reps. Paul Tonko and Valerie Foushee sent FanDuel a third letter requesting every personalized athlete and entertainer video it has sent to VIP bettors. FanDuel told them it sent approximately 30 over two years as a “token of appreciation” for loyalty. The inquiry follows disclosure of a Bryce Harper video sent in 2024 to a customer who later sued over problem-gambling issues. The customer’s lawsuit does not by itself show what FanDuel knew when it sent the video.
The lawmakers want the wager and loss history for each recipient, any previous requests to pause notifications or limit gambling, and the reasons a VIP host chose that person. They also ask whether data used to flag possible gambling harm is used to target the same bettors with videos, push notifications, bonuses or other perks. FanDuel has until October 20 to respond; the article reports no answer to those questions yet.
The distinction is consequential. A safety system may detect financial distress while a marketing system recognizes a valuable customer. Whether those systems share signals, and which one governs the next contact, determines whether a person showing signs of harm receives a restraint or another invitation to play. The congressional letter raises that question; it does not resolve it.