Shohei Ohtani playing scandal defined: All the things we all know after Dodgers star breaks silence

Shohei Ohtani’s legal professionals say the Dodgers famous person has allegedly been the sufferer of “large theft,” reportedly accusing his now-former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, of taking funds from Ohtani to make use of for unlawful playing. ESPN stories that at the least $4.5 million in wire transfers had been despatched from Ohtani’s checking account to a California bookmaker who’s beneath federal investigation. Mizuhara, Ohtani’s longtime interpreter and good friend, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday. MLB formally launched an investigation into the allegations surrounding Ohtani and Mizuhara on Friday, and Ohtani broke his silence Monday, denying that he had positioned any bets or had any data of Mizuhara’s playing.

Mizuhara spoke with ESPN final week, initially claiming that Ohtani was paying off his playing money owed. He modified his story a day later, nonetheless, to say Ohtani was unaware of the funds. The reversal from Mizuhara, who was in in Seoul, South Korea with Ohtani and the Dodgers as they opened the 2024 MLB common season this week, got here after he addressed the Dodgers following their season-opening win towards the Padres. 

Per ESPN, Mizuhara apologized to the crew concerning the information and mentioned he has a playing habit. The Dodgers had been informed Ohtani had lined his money owed. However Ohtani’s camp says this clubhouse assembly was the primary time Ohtani realized there was cash lacking from his checking account. Hours later, Mizuhara modified his story to ESPN, the Dodgers fired him and Ohtani’s legal professionals issued an announcement saying Ohtani was a sufferer of theft.

Mizuhara — who had labored intently with Ohtani since he got here to MLB within the 2018 season — claimed to ESPN that he by no means guess on baseball. Diane Bass, a lawyer for the alleged bookmaker, backed that declare to the Related Press. Sports activities betting just isn’t authorized in California, although, and unlawful playing on any sport violates MLB guidelines.

Mizuhara’s issues mounted on Thursday, as ESPN reported that Ohtani’s representatives have requested regulation enforcement to analyze the alleged theft. Moreover, the AP has reported that the Inside Income Service says Mizuhara and the alleged bookmaker are actually being investigated by the company.

Here is all the things you have to know concerning the ongoing scandal:

Attorneys’ accusations

The bookmaker, named by the L.A. Instances as Mathew Bowyer of Orange County, reportedly surfaced in a federal investigation together with Ohtani’s title. The Instances was reportedly investigating the matter and that triggered Ohtani’s legal professionals to look into the state of affairs and uncover the alleged theft by Mizuhara. 

Bowyer’s house was raided by federal brokers final yr, the Instances reported. The identical prosecutors have been investigating a big 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. 

“In the middle of responding to current 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 in an announcement Wednesday.

Bowyer’s lawyer, Bass, informed CBS Sports activities the next: “Mr. Bowyer had no contact with Mr. Ohtani.”

A spokesperson for the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace in Los Angeles declined to remark when reached by CBS Sports activities.

Interpreter’s response

Mizuhara, nonetheless, initially provided a unique clarification in an interview with ESPN, claiming that he had requested Ohtani to cowl his playing money owed, which the outlet reported totaled at the least $4.5 million.

Mizuhara mentioned that he beforehand had positioned bets by way of DraftKings and assumed bets positioned by means of Bowyer had been authorized.

“Clearly, he [Ohtani] wasn’t blissful about it and mentioned he would assist me out to verify I by no means do that once more,” Mizuhara mentioned. “He determined to pay it off for me.

“I need everybody to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting. I need individuals to know I didn’t know this was unlawful. I realized my lesson the laborious manner. I’ll by no means do sports activities betting ever once more.”

Then, based on ESPN, Mizuhara modified his story Wednesday, claiming as a substitute that Ohtani “had no data of his playing money owed and that Ohtani had not transferred cash to the bookmaker’s affiliate.”

Mizuhara claimed that he by no means gambled on baseball and as a substitute guess on worldwide soccer, the NBA, the NFL and faculty soccer. 

As for the drastic change in Mizuhari’s story, Tisha Thompson of ESPN on Thursday reported the next: 

On Thursday, a supply near Ohtani gave an evidence for the altering storylines: As Ohtani’s handlers tried to find out what had occurred, they initially relied solely on Mizuhara, who continued to translate for Ohtani.

California voters rejected two separate propositions in 2022 that may have legalized sports activities playing within the state. The primary, Proposition 26, would have legalized sports activities betting at tribal casinos, whereas Proposition 27 would have legalized on-line and cell sports activities betting. Each had been voted down.

With Mizuhara fired, the Dodgers’ supervisor of efficiency operations, Will Ireton, is now serving as Ohtani’s short-term interpreter, supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. Ireton has been deciphering for teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto this season and beforehand labored with Kenta Maeda.

What are Ohtani and the Dodgers saying?

Ohtani and the Dodgers had been initially mum on the topic till the this week, when the alleged sufferer gave a prolonged assertion in Japanese, denying that he had positioned any bets himself, requested anybody to position bets for him or labored with a bookmaker. 

“Ippei has been stealing cash from my account and has been telling lies,” Ohtani mentioned Monday by means of an interpreter, Will Ireton. “The primary time I knew about Ippei’s playing was after the primary sport once we had the crew assembly within the clubhouse.”

Ohtani mentioned repeatedly that Mizuhara had lied to each his representatives and the media when the interpreter mentioned Ohtani had agreed to repay his money owed. He additionally claimed Mizuhara admitted to him that he had wired the cash from Ohtani’s account.

“To summarize how I am feeling proper now, I am past shocked. It is actually laborious to verbalize how I am feeling at this level,” Ohtani mentioned by means of Ireton’s translation. “The season’s going to start out and I will clearly let my legal professionals deal with issues from right here out. I’m fully helping in all investigations going down proper now.”

Dodgers crew executives haven’t had a lot to say to this point. Supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned Sunday, the day earlier than Ohtani’s press convention, that it could be “good” for Ohtani to talk to the media and mentioned the scandal wouldn’t be a distraction to the crew. Group president Andrew Friedman informed The Athletic that “there’s nothing to say. Actually nothing to say.”

Is MLB investigating?

Sure. On March 22, MLB introduced an investigation is underway. Right here is the league’s assertion:

“Main League Baseball has been gathering data since we realized concerning the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhari from the information media. Earlier right now, our Division of Investigations (DOI) started their formal course of investigating the matter.”  

Ohtani has not been positioned on administrative go away or the restricted checklist, and he stays an lively participant. 

Might Ohtani face punishment?

Per MLB coverage, no worker is allowed to gamble on baseball (or softball, aka the “diamond sports activities”). They’re permitted to legally gamble on different sports activities, as Mizuhara claimed he did, however here is the pertinent rule to this incident: 

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 gentle 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. 

The league was not notified concerning the investigation earlier than the information broke publicly.

Ohtani may additionally probably face authorized points, as a California playing regulation knowledgeable defined to 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 implies all of the organized crime statutes can kick in, like RICO and cash laundering,” I. Nelson Rose, an knowledgeable on playing regulation and co-founder of the California Council on Drawback Playing, mentioned.

Who’s Ippei Mizuhara?

Mizuhara had labored with Ohtani since he joined the Los Angeles Angels as a free agent in December 2017. For extra on Ohtani’s now-former interpreter, listed below are some particulars.