Three members of Congress sent FanDuel the exact same eight questions on Thursday that they asked nearly a month ago, telling the operator its first response amounted to a “complete failure to respond” to matters of significant public interest.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Reps. Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Valerie Foushee (D-NC) responded to FanDuel’s answers on Thursday with another letter of their own, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Rep. Tonko told LSR last month he was not satisfied with FanDuel’s response.
All three members of Congress shared that view, together, to FanDuel’s CEO Christian Genetski. The trio remains “unconvinced” that FanDuel is protecting bettors and said their responses were “misleading and incomplete.”
“We demand real answers to our previous letter and for FanDuel to explain this complete failure to respond to significant matters of public interest,” Blumenthal, Tonko and Foushee wrote.
The letter asked the same questions, verbatim, as it did in its Aug. 10 letter. FanDuel has not immediately responded LSR for comment.
No new questions, just a harder deadline
The lawmakers said Genetski’s response didn’t address specifics on VIP vetting and monitoring, encouragement of problem gambling or planned changes to the VIP program. They gave FanDuel a new deadline to meet.
“If FanDuel truly cared about its customers, it would be transparent to Congress about its business practices and put an end to these exploitative tactics. In light of FanDuel’s inadequate response, we demand that you provide a written response to the questions listed in our previous letter, no later than September 17th, 2026.”
Instead of new questions, Blumenthal, Tonko and Foushee reissued:
- What measures does FanDuel take to absolutely ensure that bettors are not suffering from financial hardships or a gambling addiction prior to enticing further gambling?
- What steps has FanDuel taken to monitor interactions between managers and VIPs to ensure that managers are not offering predatory offers to problem gamblers?
- How many VIP bettors have attempted to cut back their betting activity or close their accounts but were instead offered exclusive perks or offers? How many decided to keep betting after such offers?
- Does FanDuel ever target VIP promotions and perks to bettors who are on a losing streak or appear to be cutting back on wagering?
- How many times have VIP managers sent videos from players or other celebrities to a member in order to keep them engaged in gambling on the platform, and were those players made aware of the purpose of those videos?
- Does FanDuel ever coach or train its VIP managers to develop personal relationships with their clients in order to encourage more gambling?
- What specific factors does FanDuel consider when identifying “potentially problematic behaviors” and why has this allowed FanDuel to use its VIP program to encourage destructive gambling?
- In light of the clear dangers posed by FanDuel’s VIP program to problem gamblers, will FanDuel suspend or terminate this program?
FanDuel Predicts pulled into the fight
FanDuel recently launched FanDuel Predicts, which offers sports contracts in non-regulated sports betting states. Blumenthal, Tonko and Foushee are questioning the ethics of the platform.
“FanDuel also boasts of its work with state regulators to meet requirements for licensed sportsbooks and other state laws on gambling yet fails to mention how its prediction markets app, FanDuel Predicts, undermines the integrity of—if not bypasses—those very regulations.”
Prediction markets have been a polarizing topic as several states have been able to exercise state-level gambling laws against federally regulated platforms such as Kalshi.
One of the biggest discrepancies between sportsbooks and prediction markets is age requirement. Individuals must be 21 to bet in states where sports betting is legal. Prediction markets, including FanDuel Predicts, allow users to be 18.
Novig is the only prediction platform that mandates customers be 21 or older.
Recapping Congress, FanDuel exchange
The back and forth between Congress and Genetski stems from a personalized video for a FanDuel VIP customer that included Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper. Harper claimed he did not know the intended use of the video when he made it.
Tonko told LSR he was already unhappy with FanDuel’s responses last month.
“Unsurprisingly, FanDuel is using the broken ‘responsible gaming model’ to shield themselves from any possible wrongdoing and place the blame entirely on the consumer,” Tonko explained. “FanDuel and other sportsbooks have proven themselves to be incapable and unwilling to protect their customers from this dangerous, addictive product.”
He then added that “Congress must take action to protect consumers by passing my SAFE Bet Act” to rein in the “out-of-control industry.” Tonko and Blumenthal introduced the SAFE Bet Act for the second time March 2025.
Congress also sent a letter to the MLBPA last month. The union responded that it is open to banning personalized marketing aimed at VIPs, though the league has rejected a ban on prop bets.
