Bryce Harper publicly denied knowing a recorded video message was for a FanDuel VIP with a gambling problem and said he has no partnership with the sportsbook.
Key Takeaways
- The Phillies star said he didn’t know FanDuel would use the Cameo video for commercial purposes.
- Harper said FanDuel had no right to use the message the way it did without his consent.
- Terry Thompson is suing FanDuel and other operators for predatory behavior that led to him forming a gambling addiction and losing $1.52 million.
A Cameo video recently surfaced of the Philadelphia Phillies star wishing Terry Thompson, who’s suing FanDuel, a happy Thanksgiving in 2024. But, in a response to a Philadelphia Inquirer report, Harper said on Monday that the operator deceived him.
“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,” Harper stated in an Instagram post.
Thompson is part of a lawsuit against multiple sportsbooks, claiming he developed a gambling addiction through microbetting and predatory that behavior led to him losing $1.52 million to FanDuel.
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‘No right to do it’
Cameo is a video-sharing platform in which personalized messages from celebrities and athletes can be requested. Harper said in his statement that he has been providing messages via the app for years, and he received a request from “Bryttanni” in November 2024 for a personalized “holiday video for Terry.”
Harper said the order was not submitted in the business category, so he didn’t know it was for commercial use.
“What happened here went beyond anything I knew about or approved,” Harper said.
There is a FanDuel logo on the video Harper made, and he acknowledged “your host Bryttanni from FanDuel wanted to make sure your Thanksgiving was extra special” in the personalized message. Harper said he was reading from a script.
“I read it in good faith,” Harper said on Instagram. “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.”
In the video message, Harper went on to wish Thompson and his family a “wonderful Thanksgiving. I appreciate all the support through the years, and I just hope you have a great day and enjoy it.”
Harper made no mention of betting, nor did he attempt to encourage Thompson to place wagers during the 20-second clip.
“Counsel has directed me not to comment any further at this time,” Harper concluded in his statement
Suing operators
In the lawsuit against FanDuel, DraftKings, and other operators filed in March, Thompson alleges that sportsbooks “knowingly and intentionally coerce users into betting large amounts of money by using data to target them with ‘microbets,’” like the outcome of pitches in an MLB game.
Thompson said he wagered around $18.5 million on FanDuel, making him a VIP. He received lavish gifts, like Super Bowl tickets. He also lost over $330,000 on DraftKings.
Thompson said that he foreclosed on his home after taking out multiple mortgages and claimed he sold ownership in a company he was a part of for two decades, all to cover his gambling losses.
FanDuel is the market-share leader in sports betting and iGaming in the U.S. The operator is available in 24 U.S. states, including the Keystone State. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board told ESPN’s David Payne Purdum that the regulatory agency is aware of the video and is reviewing the matter.
