Pennsylvania Regulators Reviewing Bryce Harper Cameo Video Sent to FanDuel Bettor Who Lost $1.5 Million

A Cameo video, a VIP host, and a lawsuit

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board confirmed it is reviewing a video Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper recorded for a FanDuel bettor named Terry Thompson, according to Fox News Digital and Pe

Live. Board spokesman Doug Harbach said only, "We are aware of the situation and are reviewing it. I can't comment beyond that at this juncture."

The video itself is 21 seconds long. The Philadelphia Inquirer obtained a copy and reported that Harper addresses Thompson by name, mentions Thompson's young son, and thanks him for his support. Harper says he's reaching out at the request of Thompson's "host Bryttanni at FanDuel," who wanted to make sure Thompson had an "extra special Thanksgiving." Harper isn't wearing FanDuel gear, but the clip carries the company's logo.

FanDuel got the video through Cameo, where Harper charges $899 for a personalized message, according to a source familiar with the matter cited by Fox News. FanDuel sent it to Thompson in late November 2024.

The money and the collapse

Thompson's gambling history goes back to the 2020 NFL season, when he placed his first FanDuel bet on the Philadelphia Eagles, per the Inquirer. He escalated into microbets—wagers on single plays—and became, in the paper's words, addicted to the "effortless, rapid-fire action."

By the time it was over, Thompson had wagered $18.5 million through FanDuel, earning him VIP status and perks like champagne and Super Bowl tickets. Fox News reports he ultimately lost $1.5 million, which led to the foreclosure of his home. He hid the addiction from his family, planned suicide, then instead admitted himself to a psychiatric facility for six days, where he was formally diagnosed with a gambling addiction disorder.

What the lawsuit actually alleges

Thompson has sued FanDuel and DraftKings, claiming both companies enabled his addiction through promotional offers and gifts. The suit names his FanDuel VIP host, Bryttani Morgan, accusing her of offering Super Bowl tickets, hotel stays and other luxuries specifically to keep him betting.

According to the suit, after a rough losing stretch Morgan suggested Thompson take a break. Then she contacted him again about an "emergency": another Super Bowl gift package, this time with two tickets to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona, free hotel accommodations, party passes and transportation. Thompson kept losing large sums after that, and Morgan kept supplying tickets and betting credits, the complaint alleges.

Fox News reports plainly that "the Harper video is not mentioned in the suit." Forbes, however, frames the video as "one of several perks used to encourage Thompson's continued high-volume wagering"—folding it into the broader pattern the lawsuit describes even though the complaint itself doesn't cite it by name. Both things can be true: the video isn't a specific legal allegation in the filing, but it fits the timeline of VIP treatment Thompson says kept him gambling. The lawsuit's claims about Morgan and the ticket packages are allegations that FanDuel has not been found liable for in court.

Where Harper actually stands

The Inquirer found no evidence Harper has a formal partnership with FanDuel or that he knew Thompson had an addiction. Scott Boras, Harper's longtime agent, declined to comment when the Inquirer asked how FanDuel obtained and used the video. The Phillies and Major League Baseball also declined comment, and the players' union didn't respond.

Major League Baseball has strict rules meant to keep players at arm's length from gambling operations to protect the integrity of the game, but as the Inquirer notes, the policy doesn't explicitly address VIP-host arrangements like this one. Harper recorded a paid Cameo through a legitimate platform. He had no visibility into who Thompson was, what he'd bet, or what FanDuel planned to do with the clip. Blaming Harper for FanDuel's marketing decision isn't fair, and no source here suggests he broke any rule.

The legitimate concern, separate from Harper, is about VIP host programs generally. Recovered gambling addict LJ Ruggiero and Gen Z journalist Eli Thompson have both raised alarms, per Fox News, about how sportsbook apps escalate small bets into life-destroying losses, particularly among young men, and how quickly that addiction can spiral compared with substance abuse. Whether a $899 celebrity thank-you video crosses a line from customer appreciation into addiction enablement is exactly the question Pennsylvania's gambling regulator is now examining.

FanDuel told Fox News Digital it is "committed to fostering" responsible gambling practices but did not fully answer questions about the Harper video specifically. No timeline has been set for when the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will conclude its review, and no findings have been announced.