Massachusetts regulator details Fanatics, BetMGM and FanDuel cases, including Bill Simmons' 22 proxy bets

Memos from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission's Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB), released in the materials for the commission's November 5, 2026 public meeting, give the first detailed figures for four sportsbook noncompliance matters involving Fanatics, BetMGM and FanDuel.

The meeting agenda listed each item as a briefing and "discussion regarding next steps", not a vote. The memos, dated October 26, 2026, are in the commission's meeting materials.

FanDuel: Bill Simmons' proxy wagers

Matter 2026-SWN-321 concerns potential violations of G.L. c. 23N, § 11(a) and 205 CMR 248.17. The memo says it stems from an admission by media personality Bill Simmons on his August 30, 2026 podcast that he placed proxy wagers on his FanDuel account in Massachusetts through an acquaintance who was physically in the state. FanDuel reported that the matter involved 22 wagers with a total handle of $21,800, placed on August 5, August 7 and August 19, 2026.

Fanatics: 132 limited bettors not notified

Matter 2026-SWN-376 alleges that FBG Enterprises Opco, LLC, doing business as Fanatics Betting and Gaming, failed to make required notifications under 205 CMR 238.30(11) and 205 CMR 232.02(1)(c). Between July 29 and September 7, 2026, it failed to notify 132 patrons whose wagering it had chosen to limit. 205 CMR 238.30(11) requires operators to have procedures to provide "timely notice to a patron that their wagering activity has been limited, including a specific explanation for the attachment of the limit(s) and identification as to which market(s) are so limited." The commission adopted the rule on February 26, 2026, with an effective date of June 1.

A second Fanatics memo says the operator allowed patrons to generate and obtain refer-a-friend bonus links: 71 Massachusetts users executed the promotion and sent 102 links to 102 people on March 27, 2026, in violation of 205 CMR 247.09(4).

BetMGM: out-of-state and blocked accounts

Matter 2026-SWN-304 alleges violations of G.L. c. 23N, § 13(b), 205 CMR 243.01 and 205 CMR 247.07(6). On October 23, 2025, between 8:22 a.m. and 10:31 p.m., BetMGM's Massachusetts platform accepted:

• 17 wagers totaling $392.00 from nine accounts outside Massachusetts but in states where BetMGM is licensed;
• 109 wagers totaling $4,936.59 from 56 accounts in jurisdictions where it holds no licence;
• three wagers totaling $66.00 from three in-state accounts that should have been blocked for proximity to the border; and
• 190 wagers totaling $15,565.42 from 25 in-state accounts that should have been blocked for device modification or software reasons.

The same meeting agenda included votes on IEB-recommended civil administrative penalties against Caesars Sportsbook, for wagers on unauthorized events including one involving a Massachusetts collegiate team, and against MGM Springfield, for wagers on an unapproved offering. The commission had not published the outcome of the meeting as of 1:50 a.m. Beijing time on November 6 (12:50 p.m. ET on November 5). Fanatics, BetMGM and FanDuel had not published statements on the memos.

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