Sports media personality Bill Simmons could be in some hot water. “The Ringer” founder admitted to allowing his daughter’s boyfriend to make proxy sports wagers for him.
On his podcast, Simmons detailed how he made futures wagers recently on the Houston Texans and UCLA while in California. He said his daughter’s boyfriend was in Massachusetts at the time and used Simmons’ FanDuel account to place the bets.
“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.”
Massachusetts Strictly Regulates Sports Betting
Simmons said more proxy wagering occurred a week later. The bets violate FanDuel’s terms of service and Massachusetts gaming regulations.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has been particularly strict in enforcing gaming laws in the state. It has also enacted new regulations to restrict certain activities. That includes requiring sportsbooks to notify gamblers and provide a reason when their action is limited.
The MGC ruled last year that DraftKings couldn’t void a bet because of an error. The commission has fought against prediction markets, as well.
Additionally, the state has strict rules on sports betting advertising. The MGC fined Penn Sports Interactive $25,000 in 2025 for non-compliance over a promotional campaign.
‘Ringer’ Deal in Jeopardy?
Simmons’ alleged proxy betting could also jeopardize “The Ringer’s” multi-million dollar advertising and content deal with FanDuel. That partnership has been in place since 2021. The deal makes FanDuel the exclusive sportsbook and fantasy partner across all of the company’s media offerings.
FanDuel specifically prohibits users from allowing others to use their accounts: “Your account is solely for your personal use. Customers are prohibited from wagering on behalf of a third party and/or allowing other individuals to access their account.”
The incident could further amplify calls for more stringent log-in procedures in the industry, including the use of biometric data. In April, New York regulators announced a plan to bring that technology to the state’s sports betting industry. The aim is to curb problem gambling and prevent minors from wagering.
Proxy betting is similar to ghosting in online poker. Ghosting involves playing on another person’s account. This technique is seen as unethical and against most platforms’ terms of service.
In 2025, World Series of Poker owner and GGPoker parent company NSUS Group moved to root out online players engaged in unethical behavior, such as ghosting. That included banning players from playing in live events.
