Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter’s gambling scandal explained: What we know, what we don’t

Accusations Against Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s Interpreter

Mizuhara's name has been tied to an alleged illegal bookmaker, Matthew Bowyer, who is being investigated for his connections to a Southern California betting ring that has resulted in guilty pleas from former baseball player Wayne Nix and Scott Sibella, former president of Resorts World Las Vegas and MGM Grand.

Mizuhara initially told ESPN's Tisha Thompson that he met Bowyer in 2021 and began betting with him on credit but quickly fell into debt. Mizuhara then said he asked Ohtani to help pay off his gambling debts, which had totaled at least $4.5 million.

"Obviously, he [Ohtani] wasn't happy about it and said he would help me out to make sure I never do this again," Mizuhara said. "He decided to pay it off for me."

Mizuhara later retracted his statement, according to ESPN, and said Ohtani did not have any knowledge or involvement with his gambling debts. In a statement, Ohtani's lawyers said "Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft and we are turning the matter over to the authorities.”

Mizuhara was later fired by the Dodgers.

Did Shohei Ohtani Place Illegal Bets?

Despite Mizuhara's conflicting statements on Ohtani's knowledge of his of betting, the interpreter maintained that Ohtani was not involved. "I want everyone to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting," Mizuhara reportedly told ESPN.

On ESPN's First Take Thursday, Tisha Thompson explained that Ohtani reportedly found out about Mizuhara's gambling misdeeds after the Dodgers' game in Seoul, Korea.

Thompson said she was told by Dodgers officials that the team's president told the team that a story was coming and that Mizuhara apologized to the team for his gambling problem before the president said that Ohtani paid off the debts. Ohtani then asked for a different interpreter to explain the situation, which is when he found out about the alleged theft, according to Thompson's report.

She detailed the key parts of the story and the meeting here.

Bowyer’s attorney, Diane Bass, said Bowyer “never met, spoke with, or texted, or had contact in any way with Ohtani,” in a statement to the L.A. Times.

According to The Athletic, a Major League Baseball official said Ohtani is "not currently facing discipline" for the allegations related to Mizuhara, "nor is he believed to be under active investigation by the league."

Who Is Matthew Bowyer?

According to new reporting from Matt Rybaltowski of Sports Handle, Bowyer, a California resident, is being investigated for his alleged ties to Nix's illegal betting ring. According to Rybaltowski's reporting, Bowyer was allegedly deeply involved in the massive ring that had ties to notable clients, including Yasiel Puig, Scottie Pippen, and Maverick Carter. Bowyer was a well known better in Las Vegas circles, according to the report, but was raided by law enforcement in the fall of 2023:

Anyone who has been immersed in the Las Vegas sports betting scene over the last decade will immediately recognize Bowyer’s name, according to a source who spoke to Sports Handle on the condition of anonymity. Last October, federal investigators raided Bowyer’s home in California, where they seized millions of dollars in cash, according to multiple sources.

It wasn’t the first time the feds visited Bowyer. Federal law enforcement seized cash and bank records from Bowyer’s residence several years ago, the confidential source told Sports Handle.

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What Are MLB's Betting Rules?

MLB has strict rules prohibiting players and staff from betting on baseball in any capacity, though they are allowed to bet on other sports legally. It also has rules against players betting with illegal bookmakers. Here are the league's rules on misconduct:

(1) Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has no duty to perform, shall be declared ineligible for one year.

(2) Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform, shall be declared permanently ineligible.

(3) Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee who places bets with illegal book makers, or agents for illegal book makers, shall be subject to such penalty as the Commissioner deems appropriate in light of the facts and circumstances of the conduct. Any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee who operates or works for an illegal bookmaking business shall be subject to a minimum of a one-year suspension by the Commissioner. For purposes of this provision, an illegal bookmaker is an individual who accepts, places or handles wagers on sporting events from members of the public as part of a gaming operation that is unlawful in the jurisdiction in which the bets are accepted

Mizuhara told ESPN that he knew he wasn't allowed to bet on baseball, stating that he knew the rule that prohibited such conduct. However, he also told ESPN he thought betting with Bowyer was legal because he previously placed bets at DraftKings. Sports betting is not legal in California, which is where the alleged betting took place.