FanDuel, DraftKings Seek to End Lawsuit That Drew Bryce Harper Into Gambling Row

FanDuel and DraftKings have asked a Pennsylvania court to throw out a closely watched lawsuit that accuses the sportsbooks of deliberately exploiting problem gamblers through VIP programs and addictive in-game betting products.

The filings come just weeks after the case hit the headlines when it was revealed that FanDuel sent a personal video message to one of the plaintiffs, Terry Thompson, recorded by Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper.

The video was arranged by a FanDuel VIP host through Cameo as part of a promotion designed to keep Thompson gambling. At the time he was in the throes of gambling addiction, ultimately losing more than $2 million betting across DraftKings and FanDuel.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Thompson and another alleged gambling addict, Christopher Sage, by the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) on March 24 this year, accuses the sportsbooks of offering “unreasonably dangerous products that are intentionally designed to maximize addiction.”

Unusually, it also names VIP hosts who are alleged to have feigned friendships with customers, sending them champagne and Super Bowl tickets to keep them gambling even after they showed signs of addiction.

‘No Duty of Care’

In their motion to dismiss, the sportsbooks argue that Pennsylvania law imposes no general duty on gambling operators to prevent adults from placing legal wagers.

“Courts around the country, including courts that sit in this Commonwealth, have held that there is no duty of care to protect customers from their own lawful wagering, even where such wagering is alleged to be compulsive,” wrote lawyers for FanDuel.

Earlier this month, Harper, who has no affiliation with FanDuel, said he was unaware the video he made for Cameo, where users can request personalized messages from celebrities, would be used as part of a VIP promotion targeting an addicted gambler.

“I did not consent to it, and FanDuel had no right to do it … What happened here went beyond anything I knew about or approved,” Harper wrote in a statement posted to his Instagram on July 13.

Thanksgiving Message

The video was sent to Thompson in November 2024, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. It featured Harper addressing Thompson by name, wishing him “an extra-special Thanksgiving,” and asking how his son was doing.

In February 2026, Thompson lost his last $10,000 on a DraftKings parlay after selling his finance company and taking out new mortgages to fund his gambling addiction.

According to the lawsuit, he later texted his therapist saying he intended to take his own life because he could not tell his family the extent of his losses, prompting police intervention.