Bill Simmons is probably regretting being so candid on a recent episode of his eponymous podcast.
The Ringer founder is reportedly in the crosshairs of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission after confessing during Sunday’s episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast that he had his daughter’s boyfriend, who lives in Msassachusetts, place wagers on his behalf, presumably while he was in California or another state where sports betting is still illegal.
“The Commission is aware of the comments made on The Bill Simmons Podcast and staff are currently reviewing the matter,” an MGC spokesperson told Ben Axelrod in Front Office Sports.
“My daughter’s boyfriend, Hank, who’s a great kid, turned 21 this summer, as did my daughter,” Simmons explained during the podcast. “And there was a couple bets that I really wanted to get in, the UCLA overs, but Houston, the market had not shifted appropriately yet. I can’t have my daughter do it, my dad would have no idea how to do it. But Hank, I trust Hank.
“I let Hank log into my FanDuel as me, [sent] 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, and honestly it’s the closest I’ve ever felt to Hank. Real bonding moment for us.
“A week later, I called him up, ran it back. We did some more.”
What Simmons described is known as proxy betting, and it is both against the FanDuel terms of service and against the law in Massachusetts.
FanDuel is the exclusive betting partner of The Ringer and addressed the matter for the first time following the report by Front Office Sports. The sportsbook said it has “reported the matter to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, voided the bets, and actioned the account after being made aware of Simmons’s comments,” per Axelrod.
Per Massachusetts law, sportsbooks must “prevent persons from placing wagers as agents or proxies for others.” FanDuel, in its terms and conditions, states that proxy betting “may result in a permanent suspension and forfeiture of winnings.”
It’s difficult to imagine FanDuel would take any serious action against one of its biggest partners. But you have to think the company isn’t exactly pleased that one of its most prominent spokesmen just flippantly confessed he is in direct violation of their terms of service.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission, on the other hand, has no loyalty to Simmons and has a job to enforce gaming regulations in the state. Should the commission find Simmons was in breach of its statutes, it can cancel wagers and confiscate any funds used to place the proxy bets.