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Baseball star Shohei Ohtani said his former interpreter stole money from his account to pay an illegal bookmaker and denied ever personally engaging in sports betting, in his first public address following a scandal that erupted last week.
“I never bet on baseball or any other sports. I never have asked somebody to do that on my behalf. I never went through a bookmaker to bet on sports,” Ohtani, whose 10-year, $700mn contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers makes him one of the best-paid athletes in professional sport, said on Monday.
Referring to his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, he said: “Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has told lies.”
Ohtani made his prepared comments to about 80 journalists from the US, Japan and Latin America who had gathered in the Dodgers clubhouse. He took no questions.
Last week ESPN and the Los Angeles Times reported Mizuhara had allegedly placed bets with an illegal bookmaker. According to ESPN, there were at least $4.5mn in wire transfers from a bank account belonging to Ohtani made to a California bookmaking operation.
When initially questioned about it by ESPN, a spokesperson for Ohtani said he gave the money to cover gambling debts incurred by Mizuhara. Later, the spokesperson disavowed that response and provided a statement on behalf of a law firm representing Ohtani saying he had been the “victim of a massive theft”.
The scandal has cast a shadow on the beginning of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, which opened last week with the Dodgers playing against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea. It is part of a push to expand the league’s popularity in Asia with Japanese native Ohtani being its brightest star.
It is also a shocking setback for Ohtani, who in December signed the largest contract in modern professional sports. A two-way pitching and hitting superstar, he has drawn comparisons to Babe Ruth and has become one of the most marketable athletes in baseball.
On Monday Ohtani said Mizuhara had spoken to the media on his behalf without informing him that he was doing so. Ohtani said he had only learned of Mizuhara’s gambling when the interpreter briefed the rest of the Dodgers that an article about it was forthcoming.
“Up until that team meeting, I did not know that Ippei had a gambling addiction and was in debt,” Ohtani said.
“I never agreed to pay off his debt or make payments to a bookmaker,” he said. Ohtani said he then contacted his own representatives, his lawyers and the Dodgers. The two-time American League Most Valuable Player did not deny that money from his account was used to pay the debts, but said he “never bet on sports” and “never wilfully sent money to the bookmaker”.
A spokesperson for the law firm representing Ohtani reiterated on Monday that “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”.
Gambling remains illegal in the state of California, even as 38 US states and the District of Columbia have legalised sports betting after a federal ban on the practice was struck down in 2018.
Mizuhara did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
MLB said on Friday that it was formally investigating the allegations. According to league rules, no baseball personnel — players, umpires, club or league officials — are permitted to place wagers with illegal bookmakers. Those found to have done so are subject to sanction at the discretion of the commissioner. Baseball personnel are also forbidden from betting on baseball games, even in states where it is legal, with sanctions ranging from suspension to life bans.
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