Blumenthal Demands FanDuel Hand Over VIP Videos

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Valerie Foushee (D-NC) have demanded FanDuel hand over every personalized celebrity video it has sent VIP bettors, after the sportsbook's own disclosure revealed one such video was sent to a customer who had lost $1.5 million gambling on its platform.

In an October 6 letter to FanDuel CEO Christian Genetski, the lawmakers said the company's own admissions undercut its earlier defense of a personalized video from Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper that was sent to a person suffering from gambling addiction.

FanDuel's Own Disclosure Contradicts Its Defense

FanDuel had told Congress it sent "approximately 30 such videos of athletes and entertainers over the last two years" as a "token of appreciation for a customer's loyalty," and maintained it had "not used personalized videos or messages to induce customers to continue gambling."

The lawmakers rejected that framing directly: "That statement is clearly contradicted by the fact that the video of Mr. Harper that gave rise to these concerns was sent to an individual that had lost $1.5 million on bets on your platform." 

They added that FanDuel's description of "automated and manual proactive reviews to identify players who may be experiencing gambling harm" does not explain whether that same data is used to select bettors for the VIP videos.

What Lawmakers Are Now Demanding

The letter requests, by October 20, 2026, copies of every personalized video sent to VIP bettors; each recipient's wagering and win/loss history beforehand; whether the recipient had ever tried to suspend their account or limit their gambling; the reason a VIP host chose to target that bettor; and what checks, if any, were made for signs of problem gambling before sending the video.

The inquiry follows an earlier round of correspondence dating to August, when the lawmakers first pressed MLB, the MLB Players Association and FanDuel for answers after reports surfaced about the Harper video. FanDuel has not yet publicly responded to the October 6 letter.

A Dispute Running Since July

The controversy traces back to a Philadelphia Inquirer report in July that first detailed how FanDuel sent the Harper video to the customer in 2024, before the lawmakers' first letter to MLB, the MLBPA and FanDuel in August. 

A follow-up letter in September accused FanDuel of giving an incomplete response, and the October 6 letter marks the third round of correspondence in the dispute, with the lawmakers setting an October 20, 2026 deadline for the online sportsbook to comply.