The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) on Thursday, November 5, voted to take FanDuel and Fanatics to adjudicatory hearings and approved three fines against Caesars Sportsbook and MGM Springfield, according to InGame and CDC Gaming reports of the commission’s remote open meeting. The hearings are the commission’s formal enforcement process; no dates have been set and no penalty has yet been decided in either case.
The FanDuel proxy-betting case
The FanDuel matter covers 22 wagers totaling $21,800 placed on Bill Simmons’ account over three days between August 7 and 19. Simmons, who lives in California, where online sports betting is not legal, said on his August 30 podcast that his daughter’s boyfriend had placed the bets in Massachusetts using his login. FanDuel self-reported the next day, voided the bets and acted on the account.
The commission’s Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB) presented the case, and commissioners voted for a hearing to decide what enforcement FanDuel should face as the licensee. The IEB’s counsel said nothing rules out later action against FanDuel, Simmons or the bettor, and Commissioner Eileen O’Brien said the case was a chance for a deeper look at proxy betting.
Fanatics and the 48-hour limit rule
The Fanatics case is the first real test of a rule that sets Massachusetts apart. Since June 1, a sportsbook that limits a customer’s betting must send that customer a specific explanation within 48 hours. Between July 29 and September 7, Fanatics failed to notify 132 bettors whose wagering it had limited, which CDC Gaming reports breached two regulations. Fanatics blamed a technical update and says the problem is fixed.
Commissioners asked the IEB to investigate further and agreed to hold a hearing. “We are the first folks to do this and it’s a high priority,” Commissioner Paul Brodeur said, as reported by CDC Gaming.
Fines and the BetMGM geolocation review
The commission approved three fines recommended by the IEB, according to InGame: $7,500 to Caesars Sportsbook for taking bets on a boxing match that had not been approved, $10,000 to Caesars for bets on a Northeastern University baseball game (Massachusetts does not allow betting on its own college teams), and $7,500 to MGM Springfield for offering bets on the Heisman Trophy, a market the state bans.
It also asked investigators to return with more on BetMGM, which self-reported a one-day geolocation failure. InGame reports that 319 bets went through that should have been blocked, including 190 bets worth $15,564.42 from 25 Massachusetts accounts flagged for device modification and 109 bets from accounts in places where BetMGM is not licensed. BetMGM says the issue has been fixed.
What it means for players
If you bet in Massachusetts and a sportsbook limits your account, you are entitled to a written, specific reason within 48 hours, not a vague “business decision.” If that notice never arrives, you can raise it with the MGC. The Fanatics hearing will show how hard the commission enforces the rule.
The FanDuel case is a reminder that letting someone else use your account, or betting on someone else’s, breaks the operator’s terms and state rules, and bets can be voided. You can compare the licensed apps on our Massachusetts betting sites page and check what is legal elsewhere on our US sports betting legal map. If betting stops feeling like fun, our responsible gambling page lists free support.
Sources
- MGC Open Meeting – November 5, 2026 (Massachusetts Gaming Commission)
- MGC Votes To Hold Enforcement Hearing For Bill Simmons' Proxy Betting (InGame)
- Massachusetts: Proxy betting, limiting violations on regulatory agenda (CDC Gaming)
Written in our own words from the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it and log it on our corrections page.
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The BettingSeeker News Desk covers regulation, operator news and safer gambling developments in the UK, the US and Canada. Every story is based on primary sources such as regulator announcements, government publications and company filings, or on reporting by established news outlets, and every source is linked at the end of the article.
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