MLBPA Supports Ban on Sportsbook VIP Program Participation
Jesse M. Cox Published 02/09/2026
The Major League Baseball Players' Association (MLBPA) is in agreement with Congress that banning players from participating in sportsbook VIP programs would be a good move. Major League Baseball and the MLBPA are currently negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement.
Jeffrey Perconte, MLBPA’s general counsel, wrote to U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Reps. Paul D. Tonko and Valerie P. Foushee, explaining that the players' union would support the adoption of this restriction as part of the new CBA. The call for the ban stems from an episode involving sports betting site FanDuel and Philadelphia Phillies star player Bryce Harper.
The MLBPA is willing to support the initiative requested by Congress
The aforementioned members of Congress - Senator Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, and House members Tonko, a Democrat from New York, and Foushee, a Democrat from North Carolina - wrote to the MLBPA and FanDuel, requesting that they address the situation that unfolded involving Harper, a FanDuel VIP host, and a problem gambler.
The MLBPA responded with its own letter. They agreed that players should not participate in this type of action. It makes it appear that they are encouraging bettors to gamble.
“We believe the restrictions on endorsements and partnerships in our collectively bargained policies represent a good-faith effort to allow responsible betting-related promotional activity by teams and players,” Perconte wrote, according to reporting by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“That said, our current policies do not explicitly reference or otherwise address the types of ‘predatory VIP programs’ described in your Aug. 10 letter. The Association stands ready to make proposals to fill that gap.”
Congress sought to get FanDuel to cancel its VIP program
The Congressional members weren't as successful in getting the hoped-for response from FanDuel. They had requested that FanDuel discontinue its VIP player program, describing it as predatory.
FanDuel responded in its own letter to Congress. The letter noted that the company offers tools that enable bettors to limit how much and how often they wager. Additionally, FanDuel said it also extensively reviews customers’ betting history before offering them VIP status.
“FanDuel is committed to fostering a culture of responsible gaming and protecting our customers," a spokesperson for the company wrote to NBC10 Philadelphia. "Unlike illegal offshore sportsbooks, FanDuel employees are trained to recognize and flag signs of problem gambling and offer resources and tools, and we continue to review and strengthen our policies to ensure we have the industry’s strongest consumer protection initiatives.”
Harper denies any knowledge that his video would be promoting sports betting
Harper has an endorsement deal with Cameo. That's a service through which, for a fee, people can get celebrities to record scripted videos. A client contracted Harper to film a holiday video for someone named Terry on the site in November of 2025.
“Cameo had a separate category for business video requests, and at the time I did not know this video would be used for commercial purposes,” read Harper's post on his social media. “That request included a short script. I read it in good faith.”
Unbeknownst to him, the person ordering the video was a VIP manager for FanDuel. She sent the video to one of her VIPs. Afterward, Harper would learn that the VIP in question was a problem gambler. He would lose $1.5 million betting with FanDuel and DraftKings.
“Had I known FanDuel’s true intent, I would not have made the video,” Harper wrote. “The same is true had I known anything about Terry or his situation, or about any alleged ‘partnership’ between Cameo and FanDuel.”
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