Commission Review
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) is reviewing comments made by sports podcaster Bill Simmons on his podcast, in which he said he used his daughter's boyfriend to place bets on his FanDuel account. The commission's spokesman, Thomas Mills, told Front Office Sports: "The Commission is aware of the comments made on the Bill Simmons Podcast and staff are currently reviewing the matter."
Simmons, the founder of The Ringer, is based in California, where sports betting is not legal. In Massachusetts, where his daughter's boyfriend is located, mobile and online sports betting is permitted. However, proxy betting—having someone else place bets on your behalf—is illegal in Massachusetts and is not allowed by FanDuel.
Simmons' Account
On a recent episode of his podcast, Simmons described how he asked his daughter's boyfriend, Hank, to log into his FanDuel account and place wagers for him. He said: "I get the code to make sure it's me to my phone, I give him the code, he logs in. And I have all this money that I had from last year because I actually hit a bunch of futures last year. And he's putting in bets for me." Simmons added that it was "a real bonding moment for us."
The arrangement was not one-time, as Simmons said: "A week later, [I] called him up, ran it back. We did some more." He mentioned placing bets on UCLA and Houston Texans futures while in California, while Hank was in Massachusetts.
In a new episode released Tuesday, Simmons said he was unaware of the rules against proxy betting. "I did not know about the proxy rules," he said.
FanDuel's Response
FanDuel, which is the exclusive sports betting partner of The Ringer, told NBC News it reported the matter to the MGC and voided Simmons' bets. A statement provided to the New York Post echoed that: "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's terms and conditions prohibit customers from wagering on behalf of another person or allowing someone else to access their account. The terms classify such conduct as proxy betting and warn that it may result in permanent suspension and forfeiture of winnings.
Regulatory Framework
Massachusetts regulations require sportsbooks to prevent customers from placing wagers as agents or proxies for others. A person wagering on another's behalf can be classified as a "prohibited person" under state gaming rules. The regulations also require operators to cancel such wagers and confiscate funds, and state that an account "shall be suspended" if the account holder allowed another person to access it.
The MGC's review is ongoing, and it remains unclear what further actions, if any, may be taken.