Danny Funt

Tomorrow at noon, @dannyfunt.bsky.social is joining #lunchandlearn to talk about his new book "Everybody Loses" and the wild world of sports betting. Join the conversation here - youtube.com/watch?v=EQZn1T2YQm0
#booksky #nonfiction #sportsbetting

In @ms.now, how FanDuel's former head of product feels about parlays becoming sportsbooks' biggest moneymaker:

Opinion | The Super Bowl used to be unique. Sports betting changed that. Danny Funt: Prop bets used to be a sideshow in sports gambling — now they’re the main draw.

My piece:
www.ms.now/opinion/supe...

In @ms.now, how FanDuel's former head of product feels about parlays becoming sportsbooks' biggest moneymaker:

thanks!

Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise Of American Sports Gambling

excited to dig into this by @dannyfunt.bsky.social

What do they say really sells books? Not being snide, genuinely curious, because I feel like I hear "that doesn't sell books" said about seemingly everything.

Is Sports Gambling Corrupting Our Government? (w Danny Funt) A recording from my conversation with author and former Obama speechwriter David Litt.

Here is a link to the full video:

dannyfunt.substack.com/p/is-sports-...

We spoke about some silly stuff, too.

Spoke with @davidlitt.bsky.social about the corruptibility of microbets about an hour before @davidpurdum.bsky.social
broke that Emmanuel Clase is now alleged to have fixed way more pitches than previously reported.

Live tonight with David Litt I'll be speaking on Substack live with a great writer of books, columns, and presidential speeches.

Excited to be speaking with @davidlitt.bsky.social t at 7:30 ET tonight on Substack live about my book EVERYBODY LOSES. Hope you can tune in!

dannyfunt.substack.com/p/live-tonig...

“We Owe You One”: The Sixers, the 1977 NBA Finals, and the Fight for the Future of Basketball In an excerpt from the forthcoming 'Moses and The Doctor,' author Luke Epplin explores everything that went wrong for the Sixers — and how the stakes were much higher than what happened on the court.

All right, folks: Philadelphia Magazine has excerpted chapter 7 of my upcoming book "Moses and the Doctor." This is my favorite chapter--it's on the 1977 NBA Finals, a battle between Bill Walton's Trail Blazers and Dr. J's 76ers. It was rich with symbolism. www.phillymag.com/news/2026/02...

When Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post in 2013 he wrote, "Journalism plays a critical role in a free society, and The Washington Post ... is especially important."

I'm genuinely curious if the outcome of his stewardship is a source of personal shame.

The Book of Joe: The Rise and Acceptance of Gambling in Sports | FOX Sports Radio | FOX Sports Radio Weekends <p>Hosts <em><strong>Joe Maddon</strong></em> and <em><strong>Tom </strong></em><em><strong>Verducci</strong></em> welcome author <em><strong>Danny Funt</strong></em>, who&nbsp;wrote the book, <em><st...

Loved getting to speak with Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci about my book EVERYBODY LOSES.

So many people in sports and sports media are nervous to speak candidly about sports betting. I really respect these two for not holding back.

foxsportsradio.iheart.com/featured/fox...

Sounds like Stefon on SNL

Sports betting reshaped newsrooms, and it’s “a little gross.” Now, here come the prediction markets "Sports media is kind of getting bribed," as one former ESPN reporter told journalist Danny Funt.

"A fascinating investigation into a new force shaping the lives of many Americans." -- @sarahscire.com of @niemanlab.org

Really enjoyed discussing my book EVERYBODY LOSES and why sports media's embrace of gambling is so fraught:

www.niemanlab.org/2026/02/spor...

Yet several hosts told me that unless a client says something explicit like "I have a problem," there's pressure to look the other way. These customers are generating 60-70% of the revenue, after all.

It's also, potentially, an ethically fraught relationship for sportsbooks to cultivate with customers. VIPs hosts are, obviously, mainly there to encourage more betting. They're also responsible for stepping in if a customer exhibits signs of a gambling problem.

To illustrate this point, he told me about a FanDuel colleague who learned that a VIP's dog had passed away. "The host somehow, I don’t know how the fuck, got a picture of the dog and sent a memorial package that had the dog on a blanket. That’s not that expensive, but it’s intimate.”

As a former VIP official at FanDuel explained, “Any asshole can whip out a credit card and give you a bonus, right? What differentiates us is relationships. ... So, when Claire’s thinking about leaving, she’s not leaving FanDuel; she's leaving [me] and all the perks that come with that.”

The freebies are typically worth 10-25% of what a VIP is losing, though sometimes that can go as high as 100% if needed to secure their loyalty.

Another key part of a host's job is convincing VIPs that you're their friend: taking them to games, to dinner or out drinking, to the golf course, etc.

A chapter devoted to the VIP business is probably my favorite in EVERYBODY LOSES (link in bio). I was amazed by things VIP hosts at the top sportsbooks told me they do for their most valuable customers: people losing thousands of dollars a week, and sometimes much, much more.

Throwing out the first pitch at an MLB game. Letting your kids take batting practice on the field beforehand. Playing pickup basketball on an NBA court. Announcing "drivers, start your engines!" at a NASCAR race.

These are just some of the perks available to VIP sports bettors.

Thread 🧵

4.9/5 on Amazon
4.5/5 on Goodreads

All types of readers seem to be enjoying "EVERYBODY LOSES: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling."

thank you, Luke!

A little late to this, but Danny Funt just published an incredibly important and detailed book on gambling in sports. This is *the* sports topic of our era, and Danny's book goes deep on it. Check it out below.

Incredible to go on one of my favorite podcasts, @righttimebomani.bsky.social, and get this endorsement for EVERYBODY LOSES. Thank you, @bomani-jones.bsky.social. (Episode dropped yesterday.)

"That doesn't sound like an RG topic to me," Shatley reiterated.

Wait, I said. VIPs can bet far beyond standard limits as long as they're haphazardly losing huge amounts of money, but they'll get stripped of VIP status and aggressively limited should they manage their wagering more strategically. That doesn't undermine responsible gaming commitments?

Are VIP programs incentivizing irresponsible behavior while, at the same time, punishing people who demonstrate more disciplined betting approaches?

"I can't speak to that because that's not an RG issue," Shatley replied.