The soaring popularity of sports betting apps and prediction markets has alarmed researchers, who’ve observed a spike in risky gambling behavior and addiction. It’s practically impossible to watch a game of any sport without being bombarded with ads for the controversial services — in large part thanks to a major regulatory vacuum following a 2018 Supreme Court ruling — making it a thorny and pervasive social issue.
And sports betting companies are going to extreme lengths to keep addicts hooked. While they’ve long attempted to distance themselves from traditional gambling, the similarities are overwhelming and impossible to ignore.
As the Philadelphia Inquirer reports, NFL fan Terry Thompson, who became hopelessly addicted to sports gambling, received a personalized video message from Philadelphia Phillies star player Bryce Harper in late 2024. While Harper wasn’t wearing any FanDuel merchandise in the video, the message was sent through the gambling company. Harper said he was reaching out to Thompson — a so-called VIP FanDuel user — on behalf of “your host Bryttanni at FanDuel” to ensure the fan had an “extra special Thanksgiving.”
Thompson ultimately underwent treatment for addiction at a psychiatric facility after racking up huge amounts of debt.
Besides the concerning implications of having a star player effectively encourage an addict to keep betting, the incident also highlights an already uncomfortable relationship between the gambling world and professional players, which could undermine the integrity of entire leagues.
Experts were taken aback by the incident.
“I’ve never heard of an active player, let alone a former MVP, doing something like this,” sports gambling expert and author Danny Funt told the Inquirer.
“It’s not good for your brand,” lawyer Leigh Steinberg, who has represented several MLB all-star players, added. “It’s exploitative and it’s not the sort of activity you want to be associated with.”
Thompson is part of a lawsuit filed by the nonprofit Public Health Advocacy Institute in a Philadelphia court in March. The suit accuses both FanDuel and competitor DraftKings of using their products to get and keep users addicted.
The statistics paint a sobering picture. According to a recent survey of adult Americans, more than half of men aged 18 to 49 said they had an active account with at least one online sports betting service. A whopping 42 percent of active bettors said they felt like they were spending more than they should, suggesting a growing personal finance crisis.
Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket are also exacerbating the crisis, employing a wildly addictive formula that sets bettors against each other instead of the house. However, the vast majority of users are left holding the bag for a tiny proportion of accounts being run by pros, insiders, and trading firms.
The trend could place renewed strain on sports leagues, which already have a studied history of sports betting scandals.
Meanwhile, more and more young impressionable minds are getting sucked into the betting world, a dangerous public health threat from which companies like FanDuel and DraftKings are reaping enormous profits.
Leveraging major star players is just the tip of the iceberg.
“Getting a phone call or a zoom or a Cameo from a highly placed player is so flattering,” Steinberg told the Inquirer. “It’s stacking the deck unfairly in favor of continuing addicting behavior.”
More on sports betting: More Than Half of Men Aged 18 to 49 Have Already Fallen Into Online Sports Betting