FanDuel sent a video from star athlete Bryce Harper to a customer with a gambling problem

FanDuel 向一名有赌博成瘾问题的客户发送了明星运动员布莱斯·哈珀（Bryce Harper）的视频

FanDuel, a sports betting app, is being sued for allegedly using VIP perks to deepen customers’ gambling addictions. 体育博彩应用 FanDuel 正面临诉讼，被指控利用 VIP 特权加深客户的赌博成瘾。

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Phillies star and two-time MLB MVP Bryce Harper sent a personalized video message to Terry Thompson, one of two plaintiffs in the case, as part of FanDuel’s special treatment for big spenders. 据《费城问询报》报道，费城人队球星、两届 MLB MVP 得主布莱斯·哈珀（Bryce Harper）曾向该案两名原告之一的特里·汤普森（Terry Thompson）发送过一段个性化视频信息，这是 FanDuel 对“大额投注者”特殊待遇的一部分。

FanDuel assigns VIP managers to build personal relationships with high rollers like Thompson, who has wagered $18.5 million with FanDuel since 2020. According to the lawsuit, he eventually took out a second and third mortgage on his home, lost it to foreclosure, and sought psychiatric treatment for gambling addiction. FanDuel 会指派 VIP 经理与像汤普森这样的豪赌客建立私人关系，汤普森自 2020 年以来在 FanDuel 上的投注额已达 1850 万美元。据诉讼称，他最终不得不对自己的房产进行了二次和三次抵押，导致房屋被法拍，并因赌博成瘾寻求精神科治疗。

While these companies often woo their top customers with Super Bowl tickets and other perks, the Inquirer found no precedent for an active, star athlete like Harper sending this kind of personal message to a bettor. 虽然这些公司经常用超级碗门票和其他福利来拉拢顶级客户，但《费城问询报》发现，像哈珀这样现役的明星运动员向投注者发送此类个人信息尚无先例。

In the 21-second video, obtained by The Inquirer, Harper does not directly tell Thompson to gamble; however, he mentions that Thompson’s FanDuel host wanted to ensure that Thompson had an “extra special Thanksgiving.” 在《费城问询报》获得的这段 21 秒视频中，哈珀并没有直接告诉汤普森去赌博；但他提到，汤普森的 FanDuel 客户经理希望确保汤普森能度过一个“格外特别的感恩节”。

The video calls into question the muddied relationship between professional athletes and gambling apps. MLB players are prohibited from gambling — two pitchers, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, were federally indicted last year for allegedly accepting bribes to fix pitches. However, the MLB partners extensively with sports books and prediction markets like Polymarket, and gambling apps are frequently advertised in ballparks and broadcasts. 这段视频引发了人们对职业运动员与博彩应用之间模糊关系的质疑。MLB 球员被禁止赌博——去年，两名投手伊曼纽尔·克拉塞（Emmanuel Clase）和路易斯·奥尔蒂斯（Luis Ortiz）因涉嫌收受贿赂操纵比赛而被联邦起诉。然而，MLB 与体育博彩公司及 Polymarket 等预测市场有着广泛的合作，博彩应用也经常在球场和转播中进行广告宣传。