Bill Simmons couldn’t hedge the truth.
The Ringer founder and longtime FanDuel partner admitted he used his daughter’s boyfriend to place bets through his FanDuel account — a practice prohibited by the sportsbook and Massachusetts gambling regulations.
Simmons, who confessed to the violation on his eponymous podcast on Sunday night, explained how he placed bets on UCLA and Houston Texans futures while in California while his daughter’s boyfriend, Hank, was in Massachusetts, where FanDuel operates.
“I let Hank log into my FanDuel as me,” Simmons said. “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 and honestly it was the closest I’ve ever felt to Hank. It’s a real bonding moment for us.”
Simmons said the pair repeated the arrangement a week later.
FanDuel’s terms prohibit customers from allowing another person to access their account or placing wagers on behalf of someone else.
“Your account is solely for your personal use,” the sportsbook’s terms state. “Customers are prohibited from wagering on behalf of a third party and/or allowing other individuals to access their account.”
The terms classify such conduct as proxy betting and say it “may result in a permanent suspension and forfeiture of winnings.”
Massachusetts regulations are more explicit.
State law requires sportsbooks to prevent people from placing wagers as agents or proxies for others.
The regulations also classify a person placing a wager as a proxy for another bettor as a “prohibited person,” meaning Simmons’ potential son-in-law should be banned.
It also requires the operator to cancel the wager and confiscate the funds.
The regulations further state that an account “shall be suspended” in Massachusetts if the operator has evidence that the account holder violated its terms of service by allowing another person to access it.
California is one of the 20 U.S. states that have not legalized traditional online sports betting.
It remains unclear whether FanDuel or the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will investigate Simmons’ admission or take action.
