It’s been a tough year for sportsbook VIP hosts. In March, five individuals were named as defendants in a lawsuit filed by Christopher Sage and Terry Thompson.

Three of the VIP hosts were employed at DraftKings, while the other two were from FanDuel. They were alleged to have incentivized Sage and Thompson, both struggling with gambling addiction. The incident involved a video message from Bryce Harper, sent by FanDuel, which raised concerns and led to further scrutiny on VIP host practices.