Bill Simmons Faces Massachusetts Gaming Commission Review Over Proxy Betting
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) is reviewing comments podcaster Bill Simmons made on his own show admitting he used a proxy to place sports bets on his FanDuel account, a practice barred by both state law and the operator's terms and conditions.
Simmons, founder of The Ringer and a former ESPN columnist, made the admission on the August 31 episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast while discussing AFC over/under win-total bets with co-host "Cousin" Sal Iacono.
Simmons said he lives in California, where sports betting is illegal, so he asked his daughter's boyfriend to log in to his FanDuel account in Massachusetts, where mobile and online betting is legal, to place wagers on UCLA and Houston futures.
"I let Hank log into my FanDuel as me. I get the code to make sure it's me to my phone, I give him the code, he logs in," Simmons said on the podcast, adding he had done it "multiple" times.
"The Commission is aware of the comments made on the Bill Simmons Podcast, and staff are currently reviewing the matter," MGC spokesman Thomas Mills said in a statement.
Massachusetts gaming regulations classify anyone who places wagers on someone else's behalf as a "prohibited person," a designation that requires sportsbook operators to block them from the platform and confiscate any funds staked under those circumstances.
State law separately requires licensed operators to "prevent persons from placing wagers as agents or proxies for others."
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FanDuel is the exclusive sports betting partner of The Ringer, the media company Simmons founded.
A spokesperson for the operator told outlets it had voided Simmons's bets and "actioned" his account after learning of the podcast comments.
"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," FanDuel said.
FanDuel's terms explicitly bar customers from wagering on behalf of a third party or allowing someone else to access their account, defining such conduct as proxy betting.
The case adds Simmons, one of sports betting's highest-profile media boosters, to a small list of publicised proxy-betting violations under Massachusetts's regulatory regime since the state legalized mobile wagering in 2023.
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