He grew addicted to the effortless, rapid-fire action. Every game, every quarter, every play — click, click, click. Thompson would ultimately wager $18.5 million with FanDuel, earning him VIP status with the company. That meant exclusive perks, from champagne to Super Bowl tickets, which made him feel important and enticed him to continue gambling.
By late November 2024, Thompson had incurred steep losses and resorted to desperate measures to fund his addiction. Then, one afternoon, he flicked open his phone and received a FanDuel reward that momentarily distracted him from his debts: a personalized video message from Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper.
The Inquirer obtained a copy of the 21-second video. In it, Harper addresses Thompson by name and acknowledges Thompson’s young son. Harper ends by thanking Thompson for his support.
Snapshots from a failed country.
What are your considerations for why they would be handled differently?
Reparations and how much money it brings in for the tribes… Just realized I’m making some assumptions that it benefits the tribes at all.
Yeah, I mean actual reparations are uncontroversially supported on this board (rightly so), but I don’t think the casinos are reparations and regardless a) how much do they generally benefit their tribes? and b) surely we can get an equivalent or greater degree of benefit from something that isn’t a heinously predatory social poison.
Also as far as I understand it, the casinos are more so a byproduct of limited career options for tribes. When you have no other outside investment, best you can do is leverage your limited sovereignty to permit a business that isn’t permitted elsewhere.