Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal explained: What to know about MLB’s investigation into Dodgers star

Shohei Ohtani was The History of the 2024 MLB offseason. How could it be anything else? Ohtani, a two-way sensation, hit free agency after putting up MVP-worthy numbers as a hitter and Cy Young-caliber numbers as a pitcher.

After weeks of rumors and rumors, Ohtani’s next destination was finally determined. After spending six years with the Angels, the Japanese star moved across town and joined the Dodgers on a massive 10-year, $700 million contract with Los Angeles.

Before Ohtani could even play his first official game as a Dodger, he found himself in the headlines again – this time for his possible involvement in a gambling scandal.

Ohtani faced controversy during spring training. It was alleged that his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara stole millions of dollars from the star to pay off huge gambling debts. The news immediately put Ohtani in the middle of the scandal, and fans speculated that Ohtani himself had a gambling problem.

After months of investigation by both the U.S. government and Major League Baseball, it was determined that Ohtani was a victim of the case. He was cleared of any involvement in the illegal gambling scandal. Mizuhara, Ohtani’s former interpreter, pleaded guilty to bank fraud.

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Here’s everything you need to know about the Ohtani gambling scandal involving Mizuhara.

Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal, explained

In March 2024, it was revealed that Mizuhara, Ohtani’s longtime interpreter, allegedly lost millions gambling with Mathew Bowyer, a Southern California bookmaker who is under federal investigation.

Mizuhara allegedly met Bowyer at a poker game in 2021, where Mizuhara began placing sports bets, although he had reportedly never bet on baseball. He bet using loans from Bowyer. By 2022, Mizuhara had accumulated over $1 million in gambling debts.

The outstanding payments continued into 2023 and Mizuhara used his access to Ohtani’s bank account to transfer funds to the bookmaker. The interpreter allegedly transferred more than $16 million from Ohtani’s bank account to pay off debts.

Federal investigators said Mizuhara made about 19,000 bets between September 2021 and January 2024. His winnings totaled over $142 million, which he kept for himself. His losses totaled around $183 million.

Federal authorities began investigating Mizuhara’s gambling in January. At that time, investigators found a connection between Ohtani’s name and the word “loan” in wire transfer records.

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When the gambling story first broke on March 19, Ohtani’s spokesman and Mizuhara tried to clarify the matter by saying Ohtani had transferred money to pay off Mizuhara’s gambling debts. However, the story changed the next day when Ohtani claimed that he was the victim of a massive theft and that the matter would be turned over to the authorities.

Mizuhara was released on March 20. Major League Baseball opened its investigation on March 22.

At the start of the investigation, Mizuhara clarified that Ohtani was the victim in the case and that the baseball star had not been involved in placing any of the bets.

“I worked for Victim A [Ohtani] and I had access to his bank account and had gotten into huge gambling debts and the only option I could think of was to use his money. “Mizuhara told U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb during his federal court hearing Tuesday, according to ESPN, “I had access to Bank A. So I transferred money for my gambling debts to his bank account.”

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Who is Ippei Mizuhara?

Mizuhara is a former interpreter for Japanese baseball players. His first job as a baseball interpreter came in 2007 after graduating from college, when he was hired by the Red Sox to interpret for pitcher Hideki Okajima.

In 2013, Mizuhara traveled to Japan to interpret for the NPB’s Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. During the 2013 season, he met Ohtani, then an 18-year-old rookie with the Fighters.

When the Angels signed Ohtani after the 2017 season, the organization also hired Mizuhara as Ohtani’s interpreter. He served in that role for all six seasons with the Angels and was hired to fill the same role with the Dodgers.

Mizuhara’s roles include the typical duties of translating for Ohtani at press conferences and media briefings. He told Nippon.com in October 2021 that while he and Ohtani were “kind of like friends,” their relationship was more like a professional partnership.

“My first priority is to help create an environment where he can focus on baseball,” Mizuhara said at the time.

Who is Mathew Boyer?

Bowyer is a 49-year-old who is believed to have worked as a bookie in an illegal gambling ring in Orange County, California.

He is believed to have been betting from Mizuhara for almost two years.

According to the Washington Post, Bowyer earned about $5,400 a month from odd jobs such as exterminator, commodities trader and owner of a Brazilian jiu-jitsu studio.

However, he made his big money through gambling. According to the Washington Post, Boyer was banned from multiple casinos in Las Vegas and is said to have accumulated $425,000 in debts at the Cosmopolitan and Aria casinos in 2010 and 2011.

It is unclear exactly when Bowyer became a bookmaker. According to court documents obtained by The Washington Post, he founded a company called Picks Enterprises, LLC in 2019. At the time, Bowyer was involved in what the Federal Trade Commission described as “the largest foreign real estate investment fraud.” [agency] ever targeted,” a project called Sanctuary Belize.

He has since been accused of running an illegal gambling business, money laundering and filing a false tax return.

Verdict on the Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal

According to ESPN, Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud charges in federal court on June 4.

That same day, MLB completed its investigation into Ohtani and concluded that the star was a victim in the case.

“Due to the thoroughness of the federal investigation made public, the information collected by MLB, and the uncontested resolution of the criminal case, MLB considers Shohei Ohtani to be a victim of fraud and this matter has been closed,” MLB said in the statement.

The Dodgers issued their own statement following MLB’s:

With today’s plea deal in the criminal case against Ippei Mizuhara and the conclusion of both the federal and MLB investigations, the Dodgers are pleased that Shohei and the team are putting this entire matter behind them and moving forward in the pursuit of a World Series title can.

Ohtani also sent a statement through a spokesperson:

Now that the investigation has concluded, this comprehensive admission of guilt has provided important closure for me and my family. I would like to sincerely thank the authorities for completing their thorough and effective investigation so quickly and uncovering all evidence.

This has been a uniquely challenging time, so I am especially grateful to my support team – my family, my agent, my agency, my lawyers and advisors, and the entire Dodger organization, who have shown endless support throughout this process.

It’s time to close this chapter, move on and continue to focus on playing and winning ball games.

Mizuhara now faces a maximum of 33 years in prison after pleading guilty to the charges. The sentencing date was originally scheduled for October 25, but has since been postponed to December 20 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.