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State of Play’s TL;DR
- Bill Simmons told his podcast audience that he allowed another person to place bets for him on his account.
- Proxy betting is against FanDuel’s rules and Massachusetts’ regulations.
Media sports personality Bill Simmons said on his podcast that he had another person log into his FanDuel account and place online sports bets for him while they were in different states.
That matters because both FanDuel’s rules and Massachusetts sports betting regulations prohibit proxy betting and account sharing.
Simmons, founder of “The Ringer,” said he was in California, which doesn’t allow sports betting, while his daughter’s boyfriend, Hank, was in Massachusetts, which has a legal sports betting industry. Simmons said the bets included UCLA and Houston Texans futures.
Simmons described giving access to his FanDuel account
On the podcast, Simmons said:
“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, 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.”
FanDuel’s terms specifically bar that conduct. Its account policy states:
“Your account is solely for your personal use.”
FanDuel also classifies betting through another person as proxy betting, which the operator says can lead to permanent suspension and forfeiture of winnings.
Why the admission matters in a regulated market
Massachusetts regulations require sportsbooks to prevent wagers placed by agents or proxies. Those rules classify a person placing a wager on behalf of another bettor as a prohibited person.
Massachusetts rules also require operators to cancel the wager and confiscate the funds, and to suspend an account if there is evidence the account-holder allowed another person to access it.
It is not yet clear whether FanDuel will investigate the account or whether the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will take any action.
The story could also draw attention because “The Ringer: has had a multi-million dollar advertising and content relationship with FanDuel since 2021.
Based on reporting by Sean Treppedi for The New York Post.
