Shohei Ohtani Betting Scandal Update: Ex-Interpreter to Plead Guilty

It has been about two weeks since the sports world was rocked by news of arguably the biggest sports star on the planet being embroiled in a wagering scandal. The scandal happened in California, where there is no legal sports betting scene, so our best sports betting sites were not involved.

Development in the Shohei Ohtani/Ippei Mizuhara saga has been somewhat slow, but this week provided some clarity about the situation as it exists.

Former personal interpreter of the baseball megastar, Ippei Mizuhara, has been accused by U.S. federal prosecutors of stealing from the three-time All-Star and reigning American League MVP Ohtani to satisfy a gambling addiction and ultimate gambling debt to an illegal bookie in the state of California.

Now comes word that Mizuhara intends to plead guilty to bank fraud and illegal gambling charges.

Some background

A few weeks ago, while the Los Angeles Dodgers were in Korea to open their MLB season, a New York Times story blew the lid off the story surrounding illegal sports betting and Ohtani's close confidant and interpreter. 

It was alleged then that Ippei Mizuhara stole as much as $4.5 million to place illegal wagers in the Golden State. It was unknown at the time whether Ohtani was involved with Matt Bowyer, the illegal bookie at the center of the scandal. 

According to the complaint, Mizuhara allegedly changed alerts and confirmation settings on the Dodgers superstar's bank account to place upwards of 19,000 bets and amass about $40 million in gambling losses over a three-year period. 

It is alleged that Mizuhara wired more than $16 million from Ohtani's account to ones tied to the former interpreter. The scheme dates back to 2021 and was used by Mizuhara until last month. 

The scheme included Mizuhara tying his email and phone number to Ohtani's account.

Ohtani in the clear?

Ohtani has since denied any involvement during an in-depth press conference, despite Mizuhara saying that Ohtani had agreed to pay off his debts.

“I’ve never bet on baseball or any other sports or asked someone to do it on my behalf,” Ohtani said during an uncomfortable press conference. “I’ve never asked a bookmaker to do it on my behalf. Up until a few days ago, I didn’t know this was happening. In conclusion, Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has told lies.”

The U.S. Department of Justice has all-but agreed with the idea that Ohtani himself had no part in the gambling operation and in fact, he was frauded by his former friend whose gambling addiction spiraled out of control.

According to United States attorney Martin Estrada,  "Mr. Ohtani is considered a victim in this case."

League reaction

MLB's Department of Investigations has apparently begun an investigation into the Ohtani/Mizuhara situation, but it looks as though Ohtani himself will be cleared, just as he has been with federal officials.

According to an MLB statement, “We are aware of the charges filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office against Mr. Mizuhara for bank fraud after a thorough federal investigation. According to that investigation, Shohei Ohtani is considered a victim of fraud and there is no evidence that he authorized betting with an illegal bookmaker. Further, the investigation did not find any betting on baseball by Mr. Mizuhara. Given the information disclosed today, and other information we have already collected, we will wait until resolution of the criminal proceeding to determine whether further investigation is warranted.”

But the situation has shone a whole new but unwanted light on the relationship between professional sports and the reality of problem gambling.

It is a story that will likely have some legs and have reaching implications not only in the baseball world but also in other major leagues around the globe.