Bill Simmons has broken his silence regarding a controversy involving proxy betting on FanDuel, admitting he was unaware of the specific rules. The issue arose when Simmons, while in Los Angeles where FanDuel Sportsbook is not legal, had his daughter's boyfriend place wagers for him in Massachusetts.
Simmons addressed the situation on the latest episode of his podcast, stating, "I talked about how I got my daughter’s boyfriend to place some bets for me in Massachusetts, because I was in L.A.," he said. "Did not know about the proxy rules. Yeah, there’s some real rules with this stuff. … I learned my lesson. Apparently, proxy betting, not allowed. I actually thought it was, but that’s fine."
As a result of the proxy betting, which is not permitted on online betting applications, FanDuel voided Simmons' bets. He also lightheartedly mentioned that the situation led to a breakup between his daughter and her boyfriend. "But I did learn," Simmons continued. "Not allowed to do that. So all those bets went out the window. All that special time I had with Hank out the window as well."
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has launched an investigation into the matter. The MGC is known for its stringent regulations, and it remains possible that Simmons could face further consequences. The commission has previously scrutinized other figures in the sports betting industry, such as Barstool Founder Dave Portnoy, over past comments related to gambling.
Simmons indicated he would be in Boston soon and might place future wagers, suggesting he has absorbed the lesson from this incident. While the scandal could have jeopardized his multi-million dollar marketing agreement with FanDuel, he appears to have avoided the most severe repercussions for now. FanDuel recently promoted a new marketing program stating "Available everywhere," but many of the bets discussed by Simmons were not available on their prediction market exchange. Simmons shared a marketing post on X highlighting that trading sports swaps on their prediction market platform is legal in California.