FanDuel’s Response to Congress Over VIP Program Falls Short

FanDuel Sportsbook appears to remain in hot water with several key members of Congress.

US Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) led a group of lawmakers that sent a letter to FanDuel on August 10, asking the operator about its VIP program after a controversial ad campaign. They asked FanDuel to answer several questions about its VIP program, including problem gambling stats. 

The letter set a deadline of August 24 for FanDuel to respond, but the operator responded just a few days after receiving the letter. 

While it answered some questions and touted its problem gambling protocols, it only answered three of the eight questions posed by lawmakers. FanDuel refused to provide any response to five questions involving the following:

• Stats around VIP bettors that have attempted to slow or stop their activity, but were lured back with promotions and bonuses.

• Number of videos from celebrities and athletes from VIP account managers

• How FanDuel determines which VIP bettors to target

• How FanDuel identifies problem gambling habits

• FanDuel’s plans for its VIP program amid accusations it poses “clear dangers” to bettors vulnerable to addiction. 

FanDuel has not signaled any plans to address the above questions in the future, a concerning silence that will likely be scrutinized in any comprehensive FanDuel Sportsbook review evaluating the operator's commitment to responsible gambling.

FanDuel VIP Program Under Fire Again

This isn’t the first time FanDuel’s VIP program has been nationally scrutinized.

In 2024, an employee for the Jacksonville Jaguars was found to have stolen around $20 million from the team to fund his gambling addiction. After being charged, the employee filed a lawsuit against FanDuel, alleging it ignored problem gambling warning signs, instead targeting him with promotions dozens of times per day. 

Sen. Blumenthal did not directly reference the case in his recent letter to the sportsbook, but he echoed some of the same allegations.

“FanDuel claims to exclude customers demonstrating ‘potentially problematic behavior’ from its products and promotions, but its VIP perks are dangerously designed to distract bettors, including those struggling with a gambling addiction, from their financial losses and entice further destructive gambling – especially when they are attempting to quit,” Blumenthal shared in an August 10 press release. The very nature of VIP programs is to develop ‘close’ relationships with their clients over time, fostering false friendships and frequently asking about bettors’ personal lives to make them more willing to place bets. Gambling is a known addictive product, and VIP/host relationships are designed to keep people actively engaged and at greater risk.”