Dodgers celebrity Shohei Ohtani kicked off the 2024 season — and his 10-year, $700 million contract — by going 2 for five towards the Padres within the first regular-season sport of the 12 months, a 5-2 victory over the Padres in Seoul, South Korea. However earlier than he and the staff might even put together for Recreation 2, a scandal had boiled up across the two-way participant. Ohtani’s attorneys have accused his now-former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, of stealing hundreds of thousands of {dollars} from him to cowl unlawful playing money owed.Â
“In the middle of responding to latest media inquiries, we found that Shohei has been the sufferer of an enormous theft and we’re turning the matter over to the authorities,” a spokesperson for Berk Brettler regulation agency informed CBS Sports activities.
Mizuhara has modified his story already, first telling ESPN that Ohtani had willingly given him the cash, then saying a day later that Ohtani had been unaware of the funds. Mizuhara reportedly addressed the clubhouse about his playing after the season opener in Seoul on Wednesday, simply hours earlier than he was fired by the Dodgers and Ohtani’s attorneys made the assertion about “large theft.” Mizuhara additionally informed ESPN that he didn’t wager on baseball.
“The Dodgers are conscious of media experiences and are gathering info,” a staff spokesperson stated in a press release late Wednesday. “The staff can verify that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has been terminated. The staff has no additional remark presently.”
No one has alleged that Ohtani knew about Mizuhara making the bets earlier than they occurred or that he was playing himself, however his obvious involvement, whether or not voluntary or not, has raised questions. CBS Sports activities spoke to a authorized skilled to attempt to reply some.
Might Ohtani face authorized bother?
The unlawful bookmaker Mizuhara was allegedly working with, Mathew Bowyer of Orange County, is below federal investigation and had his home raided by investigators final 12 months, in keeping with the Los Angeles Occasions. Bowyer’s lawyer, who informed CBS Sports activities that her consumer “had no contact with Mr. Ohtani,” informed the Occasions that her consumer has not but been charged with any crimes.
The identical federal investigators trying into Bowyer have additionally reportedly been engaged on a wide-reaching playing operation within the space, one which has even roped in former Dodgers participant Yasiel Puig, although it is unclear if the 2 are formally associated.Â
The Division of Justice declined to remark when reached by CBS Sports activities.
Which model of Mizuhara’s story is true (or if neither is) might decide Ohtani’s culpability, I. Nelson Rose, an skilled on playing regulation and co-founder of the California Council on Drawback Playing, informed CBS Sports activities.
“There are such a lot of potential crimes right here, state and federal, and the large risks with violating the anti-gambling legal guidelines is that they’re all written to go after organized crime, which suggests all of the organized crime statutes can kick in, like RICO and cash laundering,” stated Rose, who has served as a authorities marketing consultant to entities together with the Arizona Division of Gaming, the Delaware State Lottery, the Illinois Gaming Board, the Michigan State Lottery and the New Mexico Gaming Management Board.
If Ohtani did knowingly wire the cash to pay Mizuhara’s debt, both to Mizuhara or on to the bookie, he may very well be thought-about complicit in serving to an unlawful gambler acquire, in keeping with Rose.
“In different phrases, he is serving to the bookie acquire the debt. It will get terribly unhealthy if he knew any of this was occurring and agreed to it,” Rose stated.
All of this, once more, would solely be an choice if Ohtani voluntarily handed over the cash, whether or not to Mizuhara or Bowyer, in keeping with Rose. If the cash was stolen, as Ohtani’s attorneys alleged, he couldn’t be thought-about an confederate.
“What I am unable to work out is why the attorneys did not inform everybody to simply shut up,” Rose informed CBS Sports activities.
What do the MLB guidelines say?
Playing on baseball (and softball) is strictly banned for MLB staff, however they’re allowed to position authorized bets on different sports activities.
Any participant, umpire, or Membership or League official or worker who locations bets with unlawful e-book makers, or brokers for unlawful e-book makers, shall be topic to such penalty because the Commissioner deems acceptable in mild of the info and circumstances of the conduct. Any participant, umpire, or Membership or League official or worker who operates or works for an unlawful bookmaking enterprise shall be topic to a minimal of a one-year suspension by the Commissioner. For functions of this provision, an unlawful bookmaker is a person who accepts, locations or handles wagers on sporting occasions from members of the general public as a part of a gaming operation that’s illegal within the jurisdiction by which the bets are accepted.Â
Mizuhara claimed to ESPN that he by no means gambled on baseball and as an alternative wager on worldwide soccer, the NBA, the NFL and faculty soccer. A Dodgers spokesperson informed the outlet that Mizuhara met with the staff after Wednesday’s sport and informed gamers he had a playing dependancy.
As for Ohtani, he has not been accused of inserting any bets himself. “Ohtani will not be presently dealing with self-discipline,” an MLB official informed The Athletic. MLB is monitoring the scenario and plans to collect info, CBS Sports activities has realized. The league was not notified in regards to the investigation earlier than the information broke publicly.