Bill Simmons is under review by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission after the prominent sports podcaster admitted on his show that he used his daughter’s boyfriend as a proxy to place wagers on FanDuel while Simmons was in California, violating state regulations and sportsbook terms.
What started as a casual anecdote about bets on The Bill Simmons Podcast quickly triggered regulatory scrutiny and swift corporate action. Simmons, the founder of The Ringer and a former ESPN columnist, openly detailed how he bypassed his physical location in California—where sports betting is not legal—by having a trusted proxy place bets for him in Massachusetts, where mobile and online betting is allowed.
How the Proxy Arrangement Worked Across State Lines
Simmons explained to his listeners that he wanted to lock in specific wagers, including bets that I really wanted to get in — the UCLA overs. But Houston, the market had not shifted appropriately yet.
He explained, I can’t have my daughter do it; my dad would have no idea how to do it.
Instead, Simmons trusted his daughter’s 21-year-old boyfriend, Hank. According to reporting, Simmons described the mechanics of the setup during his broadcast. When he wanted to wager, an authentication code was sent to his own mobile phone; he then relayed that code to Hank in Massachusetts so the young man could log into the FanDuel account and execute the bets using all this money that he had from last year because he actually hit a bunch of futures last year.
“He’s putting in bets for me, and honestly, it was the closest I’ve ever felt to Hank,” Simmons said on the podcast, characterizing the episode as “a real bonding moment for us.”
He admitted the pair repeated the arrangement a week later, with Simmons noting, [I] called him up, ran it back. We did some more.
FanDuel’s Immediate Enforcement and Regulatory Response
The public admission immediately caught the attention of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, which confirmed that staff are reviewing the matter. MGC spokesman Thomas Mills stated to Front Office Sports, The Commission is aware of the comments made on the Bill Simmons Podcast and staff are currently reviewing the matter.
The commission announced the review Tuesday, two days after Simmons’ Sunday night podcast episode. FanDuel acted rapidly. As the exclusive sports betting and fantasy partner across The Ringer’s podcast, digital, and social assets—a relationship that began in 2021—the sportsbook took decisive steps regarding the compromised account after noticing the comments first reported by InGame.
“We became aware of the issue and handled it consistent with our Terms and Conditions and Massachusetts Gaming Commission regulations, including reporting the matter to the MGC, voiding the bets, and actioning the account.”
The Post
Although the company did not specify what action was taken against Simmons’ account beyond voiding the bets and reporting the matter, FanDuel notes that proxy betting can result in an account’s permanent suspension.
Legal Definitions of Proxy Betting in Massachusetts
The infraction cuts to the core of state gaming compliance. Under Massachusetts regulations, operators are required to take steps to prohibit persons from placing wagers as agents or proxies for others.
Furthermore, FanDuel’s terms and conditions dictate that user accounts are solely for personal use. The sportsbook’s rules state, Your account is solely for your personal use,
and add that Customers are prohibited from wagering on behalf of a third party and/or allowing other individuals to access their account.
Simmons Addresses the Fallout
Returning to his microphone for his Tuesday podcast, Simmons acknowledged his unfamiliarity with the finer points of compliance governing mobile wagering across state boundaries.
“Did not know about the proxy rules. Yeah, there’s some real rules with this stuff,” Simmons said, “and I learned my lesson. Apparently proxy betting (is) not allowed. I actually thought it was, but that’s fine. I did learn, not allowed to do that.”
The admission potentially jeopardizes a multi-million dollar advertising and content relationship The Ringer has shared with FanDuel since 2021.
