What’s The Gambling Controversy Going On With Shohei Ohtani Interpreter? Explained

Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter for the Los Angeles Dodgers was let off on Wednesday afternoon due to concerns about wire transactions totalling at least $4.5 million that were made from Ohtani’s bank account to a bookmaking business.

What’s The Gambling Controversy Going On With Shohei Ohtani Interpreter? Explained

ESPN was informed by numerous sources that Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s longtime friend and interpreter, accrued the gambling debts to a Southern California bookmaking enterprise that is currently the subject of a federal investigation. It all began when reporters began to grill him about the wire transactions.

At first, an Ohtani representative informed ESPN that the slugger had sent the money to pay off Mizuhara’s debt from gambling. In a 90-minute interview with ESPN on Tuesday night, the spokesperson gave Mizuhara the opportunity to thoroughly clarify his story.

According to reports, an Ohtani representative told ESPN such was the case before changing his mind and involving the slugger’s legal team the next day.

It should be mentioned that all parties involved in the story—including Mizuhara and the purportedly illicit bookmaker—have said that Ohtani does not bet. MLB players are permitted to wager on sports other than baseball, provided that they do not do it illegally.

Bowyer reportedly interacted directly with Mizuhara for wagers on soccer and other non-baseball events, according to insiders within the gambling organization that ESPN quoted.

For the sake of clarity, here is the narrative in the order as it appeared in the ESPN article, along with some background details.

“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,” stated Berk Brettler LLP in a statement.

The spokesperson failed to respond to any more inquiries, and the statement did not identify the suspected theft perpetrator.

After the Berk Brettler remark, Mizuhara was questioned by ESPN on Wednesday afternoon if he had been accused of stealing. He replied he had been instructed he could not speak, but he would not identify by whom.

According to this representative, Ohtani sent $4.5 million to a bookmaking business to settle Mizuhara’s debts. The network also had a 90-minute conversation with Mizuhara to get more details about the accusations.

“Obviously, he [Ohtani] wasn’t happy about it and said he would help me out to make sure I never do this again,” Mizuhara said. “He decided to pay it off for me.

“I want everyone to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting. I want people to know I did not know this was illegal. I learned my lesson the hard way. I will never do sports betting ever again.”
However, as ESPN was preparing to run the story, Ohtani’s camp reached out to disavow statements by Mizuhara, saying the information was not accurate — and that lawyers would be issuing a statement.

“Initially, a spokesman for Ohtani told ESPN the slugger had transferred the funds to cover Mizuhara’s gambling debt. The spokesman presented Mizuhara to ESPN for a 90-minute interview Tuesday night, during which Mizuhara laid out his account in great detail. However, as ESPN prepared to publish the story Wednesday, the spokesman disavowed Mizuhara’s account and said Ohtani’s lawyers would issue a statement.”

Ohtani plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers in California, where sports betting is still illegal while being allowed in 40 other states. MLB employees and players are not prohibited from wagering with unlicensed bookies, however they are permitted to wager on sports other than baseball.

Should players or personnel break any of the regulations, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred will take action.

On Tuesday, Mizuhara told ESPN that he had gambled on college football, the NBA, the NFL, and international soccer.

“I never bet on baseball,” Mizuhara said. “That’s 100 percent. I knew that rule. … We have a meeting about that in spring training.”

MLB workers and players may wager on sports other than baseball, but they may not use offshore websites or illicit bookies. According to the league regulations, the commissioner may decide to sanction wagers made with unauthorized bookies.

According to a source close to Major League Baseball, the league has not received any communication from federal officials and was unaware of the matter until ESPN brought it up recently.

This is when things start to get really hazy and raise some important concerns about the whole thing. Here is the complete history of events up to this point, just to refresh your memory.

  • News organizations discover Ohtani begins calling to find out more after being mentioned in an inquiry into illicit gaming.
  • In response, a representative for Ohtani states that Ohtani contributed money to Mizuhara.
  • Mizuhara clarifies that Ohtani was assisting him in paying off debt, but that the player wasn’t actually participating in placing wagers.
  • Mizuhara lied, according to Ohtani’s attorneys, and took the money from him without his knowledge.
  • All inquiries are sent to Ohtani’s attorneys when the Dodgers terminate Mizuhara, who served as Ohtani’s translator.

Who is Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter?

Mizuhara was born in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, Japan, and is currently 39 years old. After graduating from University of California, Riverside in 1991, he relocated to the Los Angeles region with his family.

Since the late 2000s, Mizuhara has been employed as a Japanese-to-English and vice-versa translator. Mizuhara played with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan before signing with the Los Angeles Angels and starting his first major league career as Ohtani’s personal interpreter.

Ohtani’s hesitation or incapacity to speak English put Mizuhara in the public eye all the time. Ohtani was frequently accompanied by the interpreter for all of the player’s interviews.

How much does Ohtani’s translator make?

Before being fired, Mizuhara was well-known in the sports world for his strong friendship with Ohtani, who inked a $700 million deal with the Dodgers and chose Mizuhara to be his translator. Mizuhara received yearly compensation ranging from $300,000 to $500,000 for the service.

Is Shohei Ohtani a fluent English speaker?

Although Ohtani is fluent in English, his native tongue is where he feels most at ease. Ippei Mizuhara, his interpreter, is usually present when he speaks to a larger American audience.

 

 

FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE- 

Cavs Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff Reveals The Threats He Receives Due To Sports Betting