Sen. asks MLB to ban betting promos like Harper's

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and two House representatives want Major League Baseball and its players' union to prohibit promotional deals with betting operators, such as a personalized greeting featuring Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper that was sent to a VIP gambler by a sportsbook. "We write to demand an end to the MLB and MLBPA policies that enabled this type of predatory promotion," Blumenthal and U.S. Reps. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., and Valerie Foushee, D-N.C., said in a letter sent to the league and the Major League Baseball Players Association. In November 2024, FanDuel sent a Cameo video featuring Harper to a VIP customer. The bettor later sued the sportsbook, claiming it had taken advantage of his gambling addiction. Harper has denied knowing how FanDuel would use the video or the circumstances with the customer's betting. In their letter, the members of Congress wrote they are concerned that current MLB rules allow the use of personalized content from players to "drive vulnerable fans into debt and addiction." "This is a failure that Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association must confront directly, especially as both are in the midst of renegotiating their collective bargaining agreement," the letter reads. Baseball allows players to do promotional deals with betting operators as long as they do not authorize the use of their name, uniform number, image or likeness "to advertise, promote or encourage betting on (for or against) any baseball game or event," according to the current collective bargaining agreement. The MLBPA has expressed interest in removing such restrictions during ongoing negotiations for the next CBA, according to sources familiar with the discussions. The letter concludes with five questions for the league and union and asks them to respond no later than Aug. 24. Major League Baseball and the union declined comment on the letter when reached by ESPN.