SBC Americas

In another letter to Congress outlining its VIP program practices, FanDuel noted it has sent about 30 personalized videos from athletes and entertainers to customers over the past two years.

FanDuel sent the details in a Sept. 24 letter to three members of Congress who have questioned its VIP program since the summer. The Philadelphia Inquirer first reported the letter last week.

The letter laid out how FanDuel VIP hosts are trained, monitored and limited. It closed by calling itself “a transparent, responsive, and cooperative partner” and also said it has no intentions of ending the VIP program.

A FanDuel spokesperson declined to comment on the letter.

Harper video to problem gambler sparks outcry

In 2024, a FanDuel VIP host sent a Cameo greeting from Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper to a bettor with a gambling addiction. Following news of that this summer, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Reps. Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Valerie Foushee (D-NC) pressed the company for details..

The board president of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) spoke out Tuesday on the non-profit’s relationship with Kalshi that is leading some member organizations to quit the group.

Derek Longmeier’s letter affirming NCPG’s “neutral” stance on prediction markets legality arrived shortly after its director of programs resigned, saying she could “no longer reconcile” how she believed her work should be done with the organization’s direction in the past year.

In recent months, members from numerous states have cited the Kalshi collaboration as the reason for ending their affiliation with the NCPG, including:

Michigan

Nevada

Ohio

Washington

All of those states have been involved in federal and/or state court litigation with Kalshi for months.

What is NCPG’s relationship with Kalshi?

In May, Kalshi and the NCPG unveiled a new multi-year partnership wherein Kalshi committed to invest $2m over two years, and the NCPG established a new Financial Services & Trading Subcate..

Caesars Sportsbook reached a financial settlement this month with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) to address a series of responsible gambling violations.

The operator agreed to pay a $251,250 fine and to disgorge $45,465 in profits in order to avoid additional disciplinary action by the DGE, according to an Aug. 5 letter sent to Caesars.

The regulator warned, however, that further violations will result in future discipline, even for small infractions.

Image: Andy Borysowski / Shutterstock.com

What NJ sports betting rules did Caesars violate?

According to the letter, Caesars committed the following violations over an unspecified period of time:

Displaying signage that did not contain the appropriate RG language in accordance with regulations

Not sending to DGE the daily self-exclusion list

Offering a permanent self-exclusion option through its platform

Permitting self-excluded patrons the opportunity to wager through other platforms

More specifically, sign..

In the wake of the furor surrounding FanDuel’s use of a message from Bryce Harper, the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) told members of Congress that it is open to banning players from participating in personalized marketing campaigns tied to sports betting VIP programs, and that MLB “balked” at a ban on prop bets.

MLBPA General Counsel Jeffrey Perconte wrote in an Aug. 24 response to a letter sent Aug. 10 by federal legislators that the players association “welcomes dialogue with lawmakers regarding our Sports Betting Policy and potential measures that can be taken to promote the safety and wellbeing of both our members and the public.”

Union: MLB not on board with player prop ban pitch

The players association stated in its letter that the MLBPA proposed a joint lobbying effort with MLB to ban prop bets and functionally similar in-game performance event contracts on prediction markets that are based on in-game performance.

That was one of its planned measures to curb “bets that are..

Three mmbers of Congress are calling on Major League Baseball to make changes to its gambling policies amid a controversial video delivered by FanDuel that featured superstar Bryce Harper.

On Monday, MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred and MLBPA Interim Executive Director Bruce Meyer received a letter calling on MLB to change its policies that allow players and teams to secure partnerships with licensed sportsbooks.

The letter was sent by Rep. Paul Tonko, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, and Rep. Valerie Foushee.

Manfred and Meyer received the letter following a controversial video sent to a former FanDuel VIP customer who has admitted to having a gambling addiction. The video was sent by a FanDuel VIP manager, with the content including Harper. In the video, the Philadelphia Phillies superstar wished former FanDuel customer Terry Thompson an “extra special Thanksgiving.”

Why is Harper video problematic for FanDuel, MLB?

The video was sent to Thompson in 2024 to encourage betting despite the ..

FanDuel was handed a sizable fine by Iowa’s gaming regulator last month, adding to recent sports betting infractions by the operator in the Hawkeye State.

According to documents obtained by SBC Americas, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) fined FanDuel a total of $95,000 for two separate sports betting violations. The infractions occurred between June 2024 and July 2025, and relate to impermissible betting markets offered by FanDuel tied to basketball and soccer.

FanDuel self-reports basketball violation

According to the IRGC, FanDuel self-reported to the regulator that it offered impermissible wagers on the Maharlika Pilipanas Basketball League (MPBL) between June 4, 2024 and April 2, 2025. FanDuel violated Iowa’s gaming rules and procedures by offering betting markets on a basketball league that is not officially sanctioned by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). The IRGC requires operators to only offer betting markets on international professional basketball..

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) held a public meeting on Tuesday to discuss several alleged noncompliance matters involving four sports betting operators.

The MGC’s open meeting allowed commissioners of the regulator to discuss noncompliance matters tied to retail and online wagering and next steps in addressing the issues. Commissioners can take three actions during public meetings when addressing noncompliance matters.

The regulator can set an issue for future discussion amongst commissioners, refer the matter to its Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB), or levy a penalty. The MGC did not levy penalties against the operators but set the issues to either be referred to the IEB or discussed at a later date by the commission.

The alleged violations were tied to these four Category 1 or Category 3 operators:

BetMGM

Caesars Sportsbook

MGM Springfield

PENN Sports Interactive, the owner and operator of theScore Bet

BetMGM cited for two alleged violations

BetMGM’s ..

Hard Rock Bet is the latest online gambling operator continuing the trend of blocking the use of credit cards for sports betting and casino gaming.

A representative for the Seminole-owned brand told SBC Americas that Hard Rock Bet no longer accepts credit card deposits for its U.S. sportsbook and online casino.

“The move reflects a broader industry shift toward promoting responsible gaming and encouraging the use of alternative payment methods, such as debit cards, bank transfers, and digital wallets,” said a spokesperson.

SBC Americas contacted Hard Rock Bet seeking clarity on exactly when the operator stopped accepting credit cards.

Indirect credit card use also banned

Hard Rock Bet continues to accept a range of payment methods for deposits, including:

Various types of debit cards

Online bank transfers

PayPal

Venmo

However, as well as the direct use of credit cards for depositing and withdrawing, a note on the Hard Rock Bet website states that linked credit cards may not b..