The response comes as FanDuel faces pressure over its responsible gambling oversight
FanDuel has defended its VIP programme after three lawmakers called for it to be shut down over customer protection concerns.
In a 14 August letter seen by journalist Bill Speros, FanDuel said VIP customers receive the same responsible gambling rules as every other user, and in fact face additional oversight.
The response, authored by SVP of public policy and sustainability Cory Fox, went to Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Reps. Paul Tonko of New York and Valerie Foushee of North Carolina. The lawmakers had written to FanDuel four days earlier.
Their concern centred on a personalised video from Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper sent to a FanDuel customer. The customer, Terry Thompson, had a gambling addiction, according to the lawmakers.
They said a FanDuel VIP manager arranged the late-2024 Thanksgiving message. Harper referenced Thompson’s son and wished him an “extra special Thanksgiving”.
The lawmakers said Thompson wagered $18.5m through FanDuel and lost more than $1.5m. They said he took multiple mortgages against his home and sold business shares.
Harper later said he did not know the video would be used in connection with a sportsbook VIP relationship. The lawmakers asked FanDuel to end the programme, particularly for customers with gambling problems.
They argued VIP hosts can cultivate personal relationships with high-spending bettors, which can encourage further wagering by people trying to stop.
FanDuel rejected the premise that VIP status means weaker safeguards. Its letter described the programme as a customer-service tier operating within its wider responsible gambling system.
Fox said: “FanDuel contributes to problem gambling research and invests in responsible gambling tools on our platform.
“[We] are committed to operating in an accountable and transparent manner because we believe it is core to the sustainability and success of our business over the long run.”
No incentive for account managers to play the system
The company explained that VIP account managers are salaried. Their pay is not linked to customer betting volume or whether customers win or lose.
Before offering a VIP invitation, FanDuel said it reviews a customer’s account history, including responsible gambling notes, fraud history, chargebacks and any past VIP participation.
VIP managers also receive additional responsible gambling training, the letter said, and must use faster internal escalation channels where a customer’s behaviour raises concerns.
FanDuel said managers discuss its MySpend dashboard, spending limits, timeouts and self-exclusion with VIP customers. Every manager email includes responsible gambling language and links to those tools, it said.
The operator added that its responsible gambling team monitors deposits, withdrawals, wager-size increases and cancelled withdrawals. It also reviews customer chat messages that may indicate distress.
FanDuel said a customer who reports a gambling problem or addiction is permanently excluded from all FanDuel products. Customers who take a timeout or self-exclude are removed immediately, it added.
Fox added: “FanDuel goes well beyond what state regulations require because we believe that setting the industry benchmark for responsible operations is not only the right thing to do, it is essential to building a sustainable and trusted industry that replaces the illegal one currently operating in the United States.”
The company launched its Play with a Plan campaign in January. It also said 3.5 million customers used MySpend during the 2024-25 NFL season.
FanDuel operates licensed online sportsbooks in 26 US jurisdictions, according to the letter. Parent company Flutter Entertainment spent $158m on responsible gambling last year, FanDuel said.
The dispute has widened into a question for MLB and its players’ union. Blumenthal, Tonko and Foushee separately asked both bodies to bar players from creating personalised sportsbook marketing tied to VIP schemes.
