Hours before the Home Run Derby on Monday, Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper wrote that he never agreed to let FanDuel turn a Cameo video he recorded into a VIP reward for a bettor who later sued the sportsbook [1]. "I didn't know FanDuel would do this," Harper posted. "I did not consent, and FanDuel had no right to do it" [1].

The video went to Terry Thompson, who according to The Philadelphia Inquirer had wagered $18.5 million with FanDuel. In it, Harper greeted Thompson by name and mentioned his young son, saying he was reaching out at the request of Thompson's VIP host, "your host Bryttanni at FanDuel." The clip carried FanDuel's logo. Harper said he obtained the request through Cameo, the app where users pay celebrities for personalized videos, and that FanDuel had sourced it through a partnership with Cameo [1].

The consent framing is the surface; the money is the substance. Thompson lost $1.5 million, per a suit the Public Health Advocacy Institute filed in March in Philadelphia's Court of Common Pleas against FanDuel and DraftKings, alleging the books exploited his gambling addiction. He lost on DraftKings too [1]. Harper's post reads as a betrayal; the receipt is a regulated sportsbook deploying an athlete's warmth to keep a losing customer betting.

FanDuel said it is "committed to fostering a culture of responsible gaming." Cameo did not respond [1].

-- PRIYA SHARMA, Delhi