Bill Simmons Under Review for Proxy Betting Allegations

Bill Simmons, a well-known sports podcaster, is being investigated by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. This follows his admission on a podcast episode about using his daughter’s boyfriend to place bets. The review began after Simmons disclosed he used a proxy to access his betting account to make wagers in Massachusetts.

Simmons operates out of California, where sports betting is not legal. In contrast, Massachusetts allows mobile and online betting. However, proxy betting, where someone places bets on behalf of another, violates Massachusetts regulations and is prohibited by FanDuel, the betting partner. The commission acknowledged the situation and is conducting a review, as confirmed in a statement by an MGC spokesperson.

FanDuel, with whom The Ringer has an exclusive partnership, reported the incident to the commission. They also voided all of Simmons’ related bets. During the controversial podcast, Simmons expressed his desire to place certain bets, notably on UCLA games, recounting how he leveraged his daughter’s boyfriend to do so. He revealed he trusted the boyfriend to log into his account with a provided code.

Despite acknowledging the situation humorously as a bonding event, Simmons also highlighted his unfamiliarity with the proxy betting rules. In a follow-up episode, he expressed regret, admitting ignorance of these rules and noted that he learned a significant lesson from the experience.

Simmons’s prominence as a podcaster is noteworthy. “The Bill Simmons Podcast” consistently ranks highly, recently placing No. 22 overall and No. 2 in the sports category on Spotify. The Ringer, his blog and podcast network acquired by Spotify for over $200 million in 2020, reflects his influence in sports media.