Bryce Harper's Beef With Fanduel Could End Up In Court, Legal Experts Say

Two lawsuits already service arsenic backdrops to nan unseemly series of events that led to Bryce Harper sending Thanksgiving wishes connected behalf of FanDuel to an admitted sports gambling addict.

Could location beryllium a third?

Legal experts opportunity Harper mightiness person grounds to writer FanDuel for mendacious endorsement, misappropriation and penetration of privacy.

The Philadelphia Phillies All-Star first baseman said successful a connection posted connected Instagram that he created a personalized 21-second video connected behalf of FanDuel but would not person done truthful had he known nan online sportsbook allegedly intended to usage it to entice VIP customer Terry Thompson to proceed gambling.

“I did not cognize FanDuel would do this,” Harper wrote. “I did not consent to it, and FanDuel had nary correct to do it.”

Harper said he received a petition connected Cameo successful November 2024 to publication a connection provided by FanDuel VIP big Bryttanni Morgan for a individual “holiday video for Terry.”

“Hey, Terry? What’s up, brother? Hey, man, your big Bryttanni from FanDuel wanted to make judge your Thanksgiving was other special,” Harper says successful nan video.

Thompson sued FanDuel, Morgan, DraftKings and nan NFL successful March, alleging that nan sportsbooks caused him to suffer astir $1.6 cardinal while betting an estimated $18.5 cardinal complete a four-year period.

“Had I known FanDuel’s existent intent, I would not person made nan video,” Harper said. “The aforesaid is existent had I known thing astir Terry aliases his situation, aliases astir immoderate alleged ‘partnership’ betwixt Cameo and FanDuel.”

The suit revenge by nan nonprofit Public Health Advocacy Institute connected behalf of Thompson and chap gambler Christopher Sage alleges that FanDuel and DraftKings intentionally fostered addiction by providing enticements specified arsenic Super Bowl tickets, edifice accommodations and entree to athletes and celebrities.

Thompson said his location fell into foreclosure aft he took retired 2nd and 3rd mortgages. He borrowed money from family and friends and burned done his savings, losing his past $10,000 connected a DraftKings parlay stake successful February.

He describes successful nan suit emotion truthful hopeless that he reached retired to his therapist, who called constabulary officers to his location to forestall him from harming himself.

Sportico ineligible expert Michael McCann wrote that Harper apt has grounds to writer FanDuel complete nan video.

Harper, an eight-time All-Star and two-time Most Valuable Player, has earned astir $252 cardinal successful net complete his 15-year MLB profession and is owed different $75 cardinal earlier his statement expires aft nan 2031 season. He besides earns astir $9 cardinal a year successful endorsements, according to Sportico.

In a ineligible action, Harper could activity monetary damages by alleging that nan video tarnished his reputation. The cognition that he urged a gambling addict to proceed destructive behaviour could negatively effect his expertise to onshore endorsement deals.

“Section 43(a) of nan national Lanham Act prohibits mendacious endorsements, including erstwhile a business draws from an athlete’s NIL and different identifying characteristics without permission,” McCann wrote. “There tin beryllium a viable declare erstwhile that unauthorized usage leads consumers to judge nan jock endorses nan business’s merchandise aliases service.

“Harper could besides writer complete unauthorized usage of his name, image, sound and different uniquely identifying features. To that end, he could reason nan video constitutes misappropriation aliases penetration of privacy.”

FanDuel, successful turn, could antagonistic by pointing retired that Harper agreed to create nan video arsenic portion of his narration pinch Cameo, a institution that connects fans pinch celebrities and creators for personalized integer interactions.

“False endorsement and misappropriation, FanDuel could insist, are inapplicable to a personalized video mounting wherever nan video’s talent voluntarily assents successful speech for compensation,” McCann wrote. “Further, FanDuel could asseverate that Harper was, aliases should person been, alert of a imaginable relationship betwixt nan video and FanDuel and, much generally, sports betting.”

FanDuel issued a connection aft nan Harper video came to ray successful an investigative story published July 9 successful nan Philadelphia Inquirer.

“We are committed to fostering a civilization of responsible gaming and protecting our customers,” nan connection said. “Unlike forbidden offshore sportsbooks, FanDuel labor are trained to admit and emblem signs of problem gambling and connection resources and tools, and we proceed to reappraisal and fortify our policies to guarantee we person nan industry’s strongest user protection initiatives.”

FanDuel and DraftKings, nan starring sportsbooks since nan U.S. Supreme Court ruled successful 2018 that states could legalize sports betting, person developed lucrative partnerships pinch leagues successful each awesome sports. The 2022 MLB corporate bargaining statement opened nan doorway for players to do promotional activity for sportsbooks.

Yet nan collaborations person not travel without problems. The MLB players union’s licensing and trading limb filed a suit in 2024 that accused DraftKings, FanDuel and Bet365 of utilizing without support aliases compensation photos of players connected its betting app and successful societal media posts.

Coincidentally, Harper became embroiled successful that lawsuit, successful which nan plaintiffs pointed to images of Harper’s look connected nan DraftKings app arsenic evidence. The 2 sides reached a colony successful April up of trial.