FanDuel VIP program faces congressional scrutiny over celebrity videos
US lawmakers are demanding further information from FanDuel after the sportsbook disclosed that it had sent approximately 30 personalized videos featuring athletes and entertainers to customers over a two-year period.
The inquiry follows concerns over a personalized video message from Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper that was sent to a FanDuel bettor who had reportedly lost $1.5 million on the platform.
US Senator Richard Blumenthal and Representatives Paul Tonko and Valerie Foushee are now seeking copies of the personalized videos and information about the circumstances surrounding their distribution.
The lawmakers said they want to determine whether such messages were sent to customers experiencing gambling problems and whether FanDuel's customer data and responsible-gaming monitoring systems were connected to VIP promotional activity.
FanDuel VIP program faces questions over personalized messages
The latest inquiry follows a September 3 letter from the lawmakers concerning FanDuel's VIP program and reports that a personalized celebrity message had been provided to a customer with a gambling addiction.
In its September 24 response, FanDuel said it had arranged approximately 30 personalized videos involving athletes and entertainers during the previous two years.
According to the company's response, the videos were generally obtained through publicly available services and were provided as a "token of appreciation" for customer loyalty. FanDuel said the messages were not used to induce customers to continue gambling.
The company also said its VIP program is designed to encourage customer loyalty rather than encourage additional wagering.
FanDuel said VIP account managers receive responsible-gaming training and are instructed to identify and escalate warning signs, including requests for self-exclusion, statements about gambling problems and concerns about a customer's ability to pay for necessities.
Lawmakers seek customer and promotion data
The lawmakers' October 6 request asks FanDuel to provide copies of each personalized video sent to VIP customers.
They also want information about the circumstances in which each video was distributed, including how much the recipient had wagered and whether the customer had won or lost money before receiving the message.
The request further asks whether recipients had previously sought to suspend their accounts, pause notifications or otherwise limit their gambling.
Lawmakers also want FanDuel to explain why a VIP host selected each customer, what measures were taken to determine whether the customer was vulnerable to gambling-related harm and which service was used to obtain each video.
Another area of inquiry concerns the celebrities themselves. The lawmakers are asking FanDuel to describe the extent to which each athlete or entertainer understood the video's connection to gambling or FanDuel.
FanDuel has not publicly identified the approximately 30 athletes and entertainers referenced in its September response.
FanDuel says responsible-gaming controls remain in place
FanDuel's response also outlined several measures it says are intended to identify potentially harmful gambling behavior.
The company said its responsible-gaming monitoring includes automated and manual reviews examining customer language, changes in wagering, deposit and withdrawal patterns, and the amount of time a customer spends on its platform.
FanDuel also pointed to its Real-Time Check-In system, which it said uses machine learning to identify deposits that differ from a customer's established pattern. Depending on the circumstances, the system can prompt customers to reconsider a deposit or establish a deposit limit.
The company said VIP account managers are permitted to communicate with assigned customers only through approved company channels, while certain higher-value rewards require additional approval.
FanDuel also said it does not offer perks designed to prevent customers from closing their accounts or reducing their gambling. According to the company, customers who want to cut back can be directed toward responsible-gaming tools or reviewed by its Responsible Gaming team.
Congressional review could increase focus on VIP betting practices
The lawmakers' latest request does not establish that FanDuel used personalized videos to encourage harmful gambling. Instead, it seeks additional evidence to determine how the messages were selected and distributed and whether the company's player-protection processes were sufficient.
The distinction is important because FanDuel maintains that personalized videos were customer-loyalty gestures and that commercial retention activity is separate from responsible-gaming interventions.
At the same time, FanDuel acknowledged that it may use customer play history to calibrate promotional activity when it believes a customer has shifted activity to another operator. The company said those commercial retention efforts are separate from situations in which a customer indicates that they are reducing or stopping play for responsible-gaming reasons.
The lawmakers have asked FanDuel to provide the requested information by October 20, 2026.
For the wider gaming industry, the dispute highlights a broader compliance question: how operators can use VIP programs and personalized customer engagement while ensuring that marketing and retention practices do not conflict with player-protection obligations.
As regulated betting markets expand internationally, the treatment of high-value customers and the use of behavioral data are likely to remain important issues for operators, regulators and policymakers.
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