After Shohei Ohtani Says He Was Victim Of ‘Massive Theft’ In Gambling Controversy, More Questions Than Answers

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani spoke with the media to discuss the ongoing situation regarding his interpreter and long-time friend, Ippei Mizuhara, and his reported gambling debt. Allegedly, Mizuhara racked up a $4.5 million debt from gambling on other sports, and it was Ohtani’s bank account that was used to pay off the large sum. Following the news, Mizuhara was fired from the organization.

During the press conference, Ohtani said that he has never gambled on any sports in his life and that the money that was used to pay the gambling debts was stolen from him by Mizuhara.

“Just to go over the result, Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has told lies,” Ohtani said through his new interpreter Will Ireton. “In conclusion, I do want to make it clear I never bet on sports or have willfully sent money to the bookmaker. To summarize how I’m feeling right now, I’m beyond shocked. It’s hard to verbalize how I’m feeling at this point.”

Originally, Mizuhara told ESPN that Ohtani paid off his gambling debts, but a day later that story switched to saying that Ohtani never knew about the payments or the gambling debt in general. The alleged illegal bookmaker taking the payments said through a lawyer that he never had contact with Ohtani personally, but said that Mizuhara claimed it was Ohtani who voluntarily made the payments.

A law firm representing Ohtani said that he was just a victim of “massive theft.”

The MLB’s new policy does allow for players to gamble on non-diamond sports, but sports gambling as a whole remains illegal in California where Ohtani has lived the past few years. Due to this, any involvement could prove serious consequences if Ohtani is found guilty of any wrongdoing.

Ohtani and Mizuhara were seemingly inseparable since he arrived in the U.S. in 2017, but now it looks as though he was taking advantage of the Japanese superstar. The most famous case of gambling collusion in baseball was with Pete Rose, who is still barred from the Baseball Hall of Fame and any other MLB activities. A similar fate could come for Ohtani if he is found guilty of making these payments, but he has continually denied that he has never gambled on sports himself.

“I want everyone to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting,” Mizuhara said. “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.”

Ohtani signed a record-breaking deal with the Dodgers worth $700 million, making him the highest-paid player in the history of the sport. Despite that, even before the season kicks off he finds himself in serious controversy. Ohtani will legally have to prove himself innocent, but he’ll also face the court of public opinion, answering questions about this issue all while already being the center of attention in the baseball world.