FanDuel Voids Bets, Flags Bill Simmons to Massachusetts Over Proxy Wagers
The Ringer founder admitted on his podcast to letting someone else place FanDuel bets under his account, breaching proxy-betting rules.
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited by the ON360 newsroom.
FanDuel has voided a series of wagers and taken action against the account of podcast host Bill Simmons after he admitted on air that someone else placed bets for him, a practice barred under both the sportsbook’s terms and Massachusetts gambling law. The operator also reported the matter to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC), which confirmed staff are now reviewing the case.
Simmons, founder of The Ringer, disclosed the arrangement on his own show over the weekend. He said he was in California, where sports betting is illegal, and wanted to place futures wagers on UCLA and the Houston Texans using winnings already sitting in his FanDuel account.
Unable to bet himself, he said he asked his daughter’s boyfriend, identified only as Hank, to log in from Massachusetts. “I let Hank log into my FanDuel as me,” Simmons said on the podcast. “I get the code to make sure it’s me to my phone. I give him the code. He logs in.”
A repeat arrangement, then a reversal
Simmons said the setup was not a one-off. “A week later, called him up and ran it back,” he told listeners. “We did some more.”
By Tuesday, his tone had shifted. He told his audience he had not realized proxy betting was prohibited. “I did not know about the proxy rules,” Simmons said, adding that FanDuel and the MGC had ruled the bets void. “I learned my lesson, apparently, proxy betting is not allowed. I actually thought it was, but that’s fine.”
A FanDuel spokesperson confirmed the company’s response to Front Office Sports. “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 spokesperson said. FanDuel did not specify what action was taken against Simmons directly.
MGC spokesperson Thomas Mills confirmed the regulator’s involvement, telling Front Office Sports: “The Commission is aware of the comments made on The Bill Simmons Podcast, and staff are currently reviewing the matter.” Neither side has said whether Simmons faces further consequences.
Why proxy betting is off-limits
FanDuel’s terms state that accounts are “solely for your personal use” and bar customers from wagering through a third party or sharing login access. Violations, the terms note, can lead to permanent suspension and forfeiture of winnings.
Massachusetts regulations go further, requiring licensed sportsbooks to use commercially reasonable methods to stop people from betting as agents for others. The rules classify anyone acting as a proxy as a prohibited person and require operators to cancel any wagers placed that way.
The episode carries an added wrinkle: FanDuel has been The Ringer’s exclusive sports-betting partner since 2021, making Simmons both a commercial partner and, now, the subject of a compliance inquiry involving that same operator.
The same rule applies in Ontario
Ontario-registered operators are held to comparable standards under AGCO and iGaming Ontario rules, which require that a registered player account be used only by the person who opened it. Sharing credentials or letting someone else place wagers on your behalf can trigger account restrictions, regardless of which province the players are in.
Regulated Ontario sportsbooks are also required to offer deposit limits, session reminders and self-exclusion tools. Players who want to review or reset their own account settings can do so directly through their operator’s responsible-gambling page.