Congress Steps In: MLB and MLBPA Face Deadline After Bryce Harper's FanDuel Video

Congress is stepping into MLB's betting mess, and Bryce Harper is right in the middle of it. Three members of Congress, US Sen Richard Blumenthal, US Reps. Paul Tonko and Valerie Foushee have sent a joint letter to Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Player’s Association, urging the organizations to take action in light the situation of Phillie star Bryce Harper.

Harper’s image and likeness were used, as part of a pre-recorded video, to share as a 'thank you' to a VIP FanDuel customer. The player had spent $18.5m with FanDuel, and during one of his periods of repeated losses, the player received a 'thank you' video featuring Harper himself. The video was obtained through Cameo, a service that allows celebrities to record themselves, with FanDuel obtaining the video from the platform.

The letter stated its goal outright: 'We write to demand an end to the MLB and MLBPA policies that enabled this type of predatory promotion.' Both the MLB and the MLBPA have been given a list of questions to provide answers for by a stated deadline of August 24, 2026.