Bryce Harper video to FanDuel user with gambling addiction under review by Pennsylvania officials

Gen Z journalist Eli Thompson and recovered gambling addict LJ Ruggiero raise alarm about the rapid increase in sports betting addiction, particularly among young men. They highlight the prevalence of online gambling apps, the deceptive nature of small bets escalating into significant losses and the impact of gambling addiction compared to substance abuse, urging early intervention.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is reviewing a video from Bryce Harper to a FanDuel bettor who claims to have struggled with a gambling addiction.

FanDuel acquired the video through Cameo, where the Philadelphia Phillies star charges $899, and sent it to Terry Thompson. a source familiar told Fox News Digital.

Thompson lost $1.5 million gambling, resulting in the foreclosure of his home. He hid his addiction from his loved ones and planned to take his own life, but instead "voluntarily placed himself into a psychiatric facility where he stayed for six days," where he was "formally diagnosed with a gambling addiction disorder."

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Philadelphia Phillies 1B Bryce Harper tosses the ball towards first base vs. the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field in Wisconsin. (Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images)

However, a lawsuit filed by Thompson says FanDuel and DraftKings enabled his gambling addiction through "promotional offers and gifts."

Thompson accuses his FanDuel VIP host, Bryttani Morgan, of offering Super Bowl tickets, accommodations and other luxuries in an effort to keep him gambling on the online sportsbook. The Harper video is not mentioned in the suit.

"We are aware of the situation and are reviewing it," Doug Harbach, a spokesperson for the board, said Friday, via PennLive. "I can’t