What is proxy betting, and why is Bill Simmons dealing with scrutiny for it?

Sports persona Bill Simmons is dealing with scrutiny from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission after admitting on his podcast Sunday that he used his daughter’s boyfriend to position bets for him on FanDuel.

Simmons lives in California, the place sports activities playing is illegitimate. The boyfriend accessed Simmons’ account to position bets in Massachusetts.

“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, the CEO and founding father of The Ringer media community, mentioned in an episode launched Sunday.

In an episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast” launched Tuesday, Simmons addressed the problem and mentioned FanDuel, which is a sponsor of the present, voided the bets.

“I talked about how I got my daughter’s boyfriend to place some bets for me in Massachusetts, because I was in L.A.,” Simmons mentioned. “Did not know about the proxy rules. … I learned my lesson. Apparently, proxy betting, not allowed. I actually thought it was, but that’s fine.”

What is proxy betting? 

Proxy betting is having one other individual place a sports activities wager in your behalf, or letting somebody log into your on-line account and place bets. It is illegitimate in Massachusetts and banned by sportsbooks comparable to FanDuel and DraftKings for identification functions, to stop cash laundering and to adjust to state-specific rules.

Proxy betting has additionally been utilized in instances of underage people bypassing age restrictions to position bets by older customers’ accounts. Simmons mentioned his daughter’s boyfriend is 21, above the authorized playing age of 18 in Massachusetts.

A FanDuel spokesperson informed The Athletic they grew to become conscious of the problem and dealt with it “consistent with our Terms and Conditions and Massachusetts Gaming Commission regulations, including reporting the matter to the MGC.” The Massachusetts Gaming Commission mentioned it’s “aware” of the matter and “currently reviewing” it.

FanDuel’s terms and conditions state {that a} consumer may have their account completely suspended and their winnings rescinded if they’re discovered responsible of proxy betting.

“This includes sharing accounts among friends or family and/or having another person log into your account for purposes of placing a wager on your behalf,” the phrases learn.

Proxy betting in sports activities

Proxy betting has been concerned in sports activities playing controversies lately, such because the NBA’s latest scandal involving Jontay Porter in 2024. The former Toronto Raptors middle was banned by the league for betting on Raptors video games and manipulating his play to win wagers. The league additionally discovered that Porter positioned at the least 13 bets on NBA video games utilizing an affiliate’s on-line betting account.

Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luiz Ortiz organized bets with co-conspirators who have been in place to wager on their pitches, in accordance with prosecutors, permitting people to win assured prop bets. Prosecutors allege bettors used intermediaries to position the wagers primarily based on data from the gamers.

What may occur to Simmons?

FanDuel has already voided bets that Simmons positioned, and any potential earnings can be forfeited. He may additionally face penalties from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, which might place Simmons on a prohibited bettor’s checklist, legally barring him from accessing any licensed on-line sportsbooks or casinos in Massachusetts. 

In California, proxy betting and unauthorized playing are handled as minor infractions if the wagers don’t exceed $2,500, and a first-time violation could be punished with a effective as much as $250. If the wagers exceed $2,500, it may be charged as a misdemeanor and carry a sentence of as much as one yr in jail and substantial fines.

Who is Bill Simmons? 

Simmons rose to prominence within the Nineties along with his column “Sports Guy” and a Boston-focused web site below the same nickname. His success landed him at ESPN, first as a visitor columnist and later as a author on Page 2, the place his reputation unfold nationwide.

He later served because the editor-in-chief of Grantland, a sports activities and pop-culture website owned by ESPN, earlier than leaving the corporate in 2015 for HBO. Simmons launched The Ringer in 2016, the place he’s CEO, and introduced in 2020 that Spotify bought the corporate for roughly $200 million.

“The Bill Simmons Podcast” ranks as the preferred sports activities present on Apple. Spotify describes the present as “the most downloaded sports podcast of all time.”