The MLB Players Association has told Congress it would back a ban on personalized athlete marketing for sportsbook VIP programs, following scrutiny of a FanDuel video sent to a customer with a gambling addiction
The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) has informed federal lawmakers that it is prepared to support a ban on personalized athlete marketing for sportsbook VIP programs. This move comes after a high-profile incident involving a video message from Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper, which was sent by a FanDuel VIP host to a customer with a history of gambling addiction. The controversy has prompted renewed debate in Washington over the boundaries of sportsbook marketing and the responsibilities of both operators and leagues.
Congressional Scrutiny and Lawmaker Demands
Following media coverage of the Harper video, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Rep. Paul D. Tonko (D-N.Y.), and Rep. Valerie P. Foushee (D-N.C.) sent formal letters on August 10 to Major League Baseball, the MLBPA, and FanDuel. The lawmakers described FanDuel's VIP program as predatory and called for its termination, while also urging MLB and the players union to prohibit all player promotional work for gambling companies. They characterized the lack of such a policy as a systemic failure, citing the close financial ties between leagues, teams, and sportsbooks.
MLBPA and FanDuel Respond to VIP Marketing Concerns
In response, MLBPA general counsel Jeffrey Perconte stated that the union is willing to negotiate a restriction on VIP marketing as part of the next collective bargaining agreement. The current agreement, which runs through December, allows players to appear in ads or make personal appearances for casinos, racetracks, or sportsbooks, provided they do not promote betting on baseball itself. However, Perconte acknowledged that the agreement does not specifically address personalized VIP marketing, and said the union is ready to propose changes to close this gap. FanDuel, in its own letter, said it provides responsible gambling tools and reviews customer betting history before granting VIP status, but did not clarify whether similar personalized videos have been sent to other customers.
Industry Partnerships and Ongoing Legislative Efforts
Sportsbook partnerships have become increasingly common in professional sports since the U.S. Supreme Court's 2018 decision allowing states to legalize sports betting. According to the MLBPA, 15 of MLB's 30 franchises now have sponsorship or partnership deals with betting operators, and ownership groups for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers have invested in FutureSports, a new prediction-market trading platform. Meanwhile, the union has also proposed a ban on proposition bets tied to individual player performance, citing links to problem gambling and harassment of players and their families. MLB has so far rejected this proposal, but the union intends to continue pursuing it. Pennsylvania lawmakers are now drafting legislation to restrict or eliminate sportsbook VIP programs and in-game microbetting, a move that the Sports Betting Alliance—whose members include FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, bet365, and Fanatics—has pledged to oppose. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is also reviewing the Harper video incident.
Broader Context in Gambling Advertising Regulation
The debate over personalized sportsbook marketing is part of a wider regulatory push to address consumer protection in gambling. Recent international actions, such as the Danish Gambling Authority's court-ordered blocking of 98 unauthorized gambling sites, including Polymarket, highlight the ongoing challenges regulators face in curbing aggressive or unlicensed marketing practices. For more on how regulators are responding to unauthorized gambling advertising, see this coverage of recent enforcement actions in Denmark.
VIP programs in the sportsbook industry are designed to reward high-volume bettors with exclusive perks, such as personalized offers, event invitations, and direct account management. While these programs can provide enhanced service for some customers, they have drawn criticism for potentially encouraging excessive gambling and targeting vulnerable individuals. Regulatory scrutiny of VIP marketing has increased as lawmakers and consumer advocates push for clearer boundaries and stronger responsible gambling protections, especially when athlete involvement is used as a marketing tool.
