Shohei Ohtani said he has “never bet on baseball or any other sport” and is “saddened and shocked” by allegations that his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara used the pitcher’s funds to bet on sports in an illegal bookmaker.
Speaking to the media on Monday, the Los Angeles Dodgers star, 29, read from a prepared statement and did not answer questions.
“I’ve never bet on baseball or any other sport and I’ve never asked someone to do it on my behalf and I’ve never bet through a bookie,” Ohtani said through translator Will Ireton. “Until a few days ago, I didn’t know this was happening… Ippei stole money from my account and told lies.”
Ohtani said the media contacted his representatives about his “potential involvement” in sports betting while he was in South Korea with the Dodgers last week. He said he didn’t know Mizuhara was in debt and had a “gambling addiction” until he spoke to his former translator in a private meeting after the first game.
“Ippei told the media and representatives that I, on behalf of a friend, paid off the debt,” Ohtani said Monday. “Upon further investigation, it was discovered that it was actually Ippei who was … in debt and told my representatives that I was paying off those debts.”
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The statement is Ohtani’s first comment to the media since Mizuhara was fired by the baseball team after Ohtani’s lawyers accused him of “mass theft” last week.
Muzuhara, 39, who has served as Ohtani’s translator since his 2018 MLB debut, allegedly used the athlete to gamble with an alleged illegal bookmaker that is currently under federal investigation, reports Los Angeles Times, ESPN and The Athletic.
“In response to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei was the victim of a grand larceny and we are turning the matter over to the authorities,” Ohtani’s attorneys at Berk Brettler LLP said in a statement to ESPN and Los Angeles Times.
On Sunday, a reporter for The Athletic approached Ohtani at his locker before the Dodgers played his former team, the Los Angeles Angels, but the pitcher said he would talk about it “tomorrow.”
According to the report, Ohtani, Ireton and a Dodgers spokesman confirmed that a statement would be made on Monday.
The outlet also confirmed that Ohtani will not be taking questions from reporters during the conference.
Shohei Ohtani is introduced by the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on December 14, 2023.
Meg Oliphant/Getty
On Sunday, Dodgers general manager Dave Roberts told The Athletic that addressing the situation was “the right thing” for Ohtani to do amid the ongoing reports. “I’m happy that he’s going to speak up, talk about what he knows and give his opinion on the whole situation. I think that will give us a little more clarity,” Roberts added.
Roberts told the outlet that there are no plans for Ohtani to discuss the situation separately with his teammates, which Mizuhara reportedly did at the club before his departure.
According to The Athletic, Mizuhara admitted he has a gambling problem during a meeting with the club.
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Los Angeles Times first revealed Ohtani’s name in an investigation involving an Orange County resident named Matthew Bowyer. It was reported that Mizuhara allegedly made illegal bets with Bowyer, with bank transfers in Ohtani’s name.
Bowyer’s attorney, Diane Bass, said Los Angeles Times, “Mathew Bowyer has never met, spoken to, texted or contacted Shohei Ohtani in any way.” Bass said her client has not been charged with a crime.
According to ESPN, in 2021, Mizuhara began placing sports bets — which are illegal in California — on international soccer games, the NBA, the NFL and college football, but never baseball.
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Shohei Ohtani during practice at Camelback Ranch on February 14, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona.
Chris Coduto/Getty
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Although Ohtani’s name was on the wire transfers, Mizuhara and multiple other sources told ESPN that the MLB star was not gambling.
Mizuhara reportedly told ESPN that his gambling debts total $4.5 million.
An Ohtani spokesman first told ESPN that the pitcher transferred the funds to help his translator pay off a gambling debt on Tuesday. However, Ohtani’s spokesperson “disavowed Mizuhara’s account and said Ohtani’s lawyers will issue a statement,” ESPN reports.
In an interview with ESPN, Mizuhara claimed that Ohtani was unaware of his gambling debts after previously claiming that Ohtani was aware of his debts.
“It’s obvious that I’m guilty of everything I’ve done,” he told ESPN. – I am ready to face all the consequences.
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