The Ringer founder Bill Simmons disclosed that he used his daughter’s 21-year-old boyfriend to place sports wagers through his FanDuel account, according to an episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast. The arrangement highlights ongoing workaround methods used by bettors in states like California, where online sports betting remains illegal nearly a decade after the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban.
During an NFL preview episode focused on AFC win totals, Simmons detailed how he bypassed state restrictions by sending his login credentials to his daughter’s boyfriend, Hank, who resides in Massachusetts, as reported by outlets including Awful Announcing. According to Simmons’ podcast comments, Hank turned 21 over the summer and assisted in placing season-long over bets, including wagers on UCLA.
“My daughter’s boyfriend, Hank, who’s a great kid, turned 21 this summer, as did my daughter,” Simmons said on the podcast, as cited by Awful Announcing. “And there was a couple bets that I really wanted to get in, the UCLA overs, but Houston, the market had not shifted appropriately yet. I can’t have my daughter do it, my dad would have no idea how to do it. But Hank, I trust Hank. I let Hank log into my FanDuel as me, [sent] the code to make sure it’s me to my phone, I give him the code, he logs in.”
FanDuel Terms and Proxy Betting Risks
The practice described by Simmons, commonly known as “proxy betting,” violates standard sportsbook operating rules. According to terms and conditions outlined by sports betting industry outlets like InGame, users caught engaging in proxy betting face permanent account suspension and the forfeiture of winnings.
Furthermore, Massachusetts law suggests Simmons’ accomplice should be banned from using FanDuel. While Simmons maintains a long-running promotional partnership with FanDuel through The Ringer, his open admission on a widely distributed podcast drew industry attention to the informal workarounds bettors employ when traveling or residing outside of legal jurisdictions.
State Legalization Stalled in California
The incident underscores the continued regulatory patchwork governing sports betting across the United States.
Because major commercial sportsbooks like FanDuel operate only in legal jurisdictions, residents in states like California must either travel across state lines to place legal bets or rely on alternative arrangements. Simmons previously referenced placing bets while visiting family in Massachusetts or while traveling for business, but his recent podcast remarks provided the most explicit detail to date regarding his use of an out-of-state proxy.
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