Ohtani’s interprter allegedly embezzled millions of dollars to bet on sports
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Representatives of Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday accused his interpreter of engaging in a “massive theft” of the ballplayer’s funds to place bets with an allegedly illegal bookmaker who is the target of a federal investigation.
Lawyers for Ohtani made that claim after The Times learned that Ohtani’s name had surfaced in the investigation of Mathew Bowyer, an Orange County resident. Ohtani’s representatives looked into the actions of the interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, in response to The Times’ queries, a source close to the matter said. Two sources told the newspaper that the money involved was in the millions of dollars.
In a statement, the West Hollywood law firm Berk Brettler, said, “In the course of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft and we are turning the matter over to the authorities.”
Attempts to reach Mizuhara were unsuccessful. Mizuhara placed bets with Bowyer, according to the sources, who requested anonymity to share sensitive information.
The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Mizuhara, a team spokesman said.
Well, at least the leagues are finally showing some restraint about promoting 24/7 mobile gambling and…
The NBA is adding live betting to NBA League Pass.
Viewers will be able to see betting lines on the screen in real-time, select the bet they want to place, and then be taken directly to FanDuel or DraftKings to place it.
It feels like every league will do this in the future. pic.twitter.com/O7zJkcCFHW— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) March 19, 2024
I’m not moralistic about sports gambling; as most readers know I like to place the odd wager on sports. But I’m more convinced than ever that Washington state’s response to Murphy v. NCAA — legalize sports betting, but only in-person at designated locations — is the correct one. I don’t think it’s realistic to put the toothpaste back in but mobile gaming is going to be a disaster in many respects.