Bryce Harper releases statement about FanDuel video: 'What happened here went beyond anything I knew about or approved'

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper has been the subject of a recent controversy involving a Cameo video and FanDuel.

Harper recorded a Cameo in November 2024 for a man named Terry. The message the Phillies star was told to recite was that his FanDuel VIP host "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."

There was no mention by Harper of betting outside the FanDuel name, but by the time the video was officially delivered to Terry, FanDuel had put its logo on it.

The recipient of the video was Terry Thompson, a longtime gambler. Thompson and another plaintiff, Christopher Sage, sued FanDuel, DraftKings, BetFair and other outlets in March of this year.

The case was made on the grounds that the betting outlets "knowingly and intentionally coerce users into betting large amounts of money by using data to target them with 'microbets,' which are wagers based on events like the outcome of the next pitch in an MLB game."

Thompson claimed that he has lost $1.52 million on FanDuel and $336,000 on DraftKings and that he has developed a "gambling addiction disorder." He said he has placed roughly $18.5 million in bets on FanDuel, which is why he became a VIP bettor with the company.

In a post to his Instagram story, Harper claimed the video was purchased by someone known only as "Bryttanni" and said he did not know how it would be used. He said that there was a separate business category on Cameo and that this video was purchased as a "personal holiday video."

The Phillies' first baseman added, "Had I known FanDuel's true intent, I would not have made the video" and "What happened here went beyond anything I knew about or approved."

FanDuel doesn't have a professional relationship with Harper, according to Front Office Sports. The betting company released a statement after the Philadelphia Inquirer published a story about the Harper video last week.

"[FanDuel] is committed to fostering a culture of responsible gaming and protecting our customers.

"Unlike illegal offshore sportsbooks, FanDuel employees are trained to recognize and flag signs of problem gambling and offer resources and tools, and we continue to review and strengthen our policies to ensure we have the industry's strongest consumer protection initiatives."

VIP bettors with the company often receive perks, such as the Harper video. This is not uncommon across sports betting VIP programs.

Front Office Sports reported that "there's precedent for athletes recording videos for VIP bettors, with one example being a video recorded by former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski … FanDuel has had sports TV personality Kay Adams call VIP bettors."

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) is reportedly looking into the situation and reviewing it.