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State of Play’s TL;DR
- Bill Simmons’s admission that he allowed another person to place bets through his FanDuel account has gotten the attention of Massachusetts gaming regulators.
- FanDuel has also taken action, voiding the wagers and reporting the incident to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
Massachusetts regulators are reviewing Bill Simmons’s on-air admission that he had another person place bets through his FanDuel Sportsbook account.
FanDuel says it voided the wagers, sanctioned the account, and reported the matter to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
The case has drawn attention because it touches a basic sportsbook compliance rule: Accounts are for one person only. It also puts a spotlight on how operators and regulators handle proxy betting, which is prohibited under both Massachusetts rules and FanDuel’s terms.
Massachusetts regulator confirms review
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) said it is examining comments Simmons made on his podcast about having his daughter’s boyfriend log into his FanDuel account in Massachusetts to place bets for him.
“The commission is aware of the comments made on the Bill Simmons Podcast and staff are currently reviewing the matter,” Massachusetts Gaming Commission spokesman Thomas Mills told Front Office Sports.
Simmons said he lives in California, where sports betting is not legal. He described having bets placed for him in Massachusetts through his FanDuel account. He said a week later more bets were made in the same way.
FanDuel says it voided wagers; Simmons responds
A FanDuel spokesperson told Front Office Sports that the company took action after learning about the incident.
“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 state:
“Your account is solely for your personal use. Customers are prohibited from wagering on behalf of a third party and/or allowing other individuals to access their account. This is considered proxy betting and if detected by FanDuel, may result in a permanent suspension and forfeiture of winnings.”
Simmons addressed the fallout on his podcast:
“Did not know about the proxy rules. Yeah, there’s some real rules with this stuff … and I learned my lesson. Proxy betting, not allowed. I actually thought it was, but that’s fine … but I did learn, not allowed to do that.”
He also said he had told “one illegal gambling story.”
Based on reporting by Ben Axelrod for Front Office Sports and Stephen Douglas for The Big Lead.
