While the history of Major League Baseball includes several major gambling controversies, baseball remained relatively clean in recent years even as sports betting became more prevalent.
Ahead of the 2024 season, though, the league is seeing beloved superstar Shohei Ohtani take center stage in what could be the sports’ largest scandal since the steroid era.
Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara is accused of stealing money from the MLB star to pay off his sports gambling debts. Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers, while Ohtani has denied any involvement and remains eligible to play.
“Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has told lies,” he said Monday.
MLB has opened an investigation into the allegations swirling around Mizuhara and Ohtani. Will Ohtani face any punishment? The Sporting News will keep you updated regarding Ohtani’s situation.
Why is MLB investigating Shohei Ohtani?
MLB’s investigation into Ohtani stems from Mizuhara, who the Los Angeles Times reported was connected to “Mathew Bowyer, a Southern California bookmaker under federal investigation.”
Mizuhara was immediately fired and told ESPN that Ohtani had agreed to pay off his gambling debts.
“Obviously, he [Ohtani] wasn’t happy about it and said he would help me out to make sure I never do this again,” Mizuhara told ESPN. “He decided to pay it off for me.”
Mizuhara retracted his statement, then telling reporters that Ohtani did not know of the transfer of funds whatsoever, which matched what Ohtani and his representatives said.
“It’s been a tough week for fans and team officials,” Ohtani’s statement read.
“I’m grateful the media has been patient. I’m very saddened and shocked that someone I’ve trusted has done this. I never bet on baseball or any other sports, or asked somebody to do that on my behalf. I’ve never gone through a bookmaker to bet on sports. Up until a few days ago, I didn’t know this was happening. In conclusion, Ippei has been stealing money from my account and telling lies.”
Mizuhara allegedly had control of Ohtani’s bank account and was able to transfer money over to the Bowyer. That would explain why Bowyer and Ohtani’s names were attached on wire transfers.
Ohtani and his camp claimed he was a “victim of a massive theft.” To support this, Bowyer’s attorney, Diane Bass, said Bowyer did not have any connection with the two-way superstar.
“‘He never spoke with him, never met with him, never texted with him,’ Bass said of Ohtani. ‘The only person he ever met with, spoke with, or texted with was Ippei,'” Gus Garcia-Roberts and Albert Samaha of The Washington Post wrote.
Bowyer did know who Mizuhara was and kept him around despite his ridiculous debts because of his connection to Ohtani.
“Mizuhara told ESPN that his losses were at least $ 4.5 million, but Bass would not confirm that amount. She said his proximity to Ohtani is what made Bowyer willing to keep floating Mizuhara as the debts reached into the millions,” Garcia-Roberts and Samaha wrote.
Ohtani’s camp has filed a police report and there is an ongoing criminal investigation on Bowyer and Mizuhara.
MLB’s investigation is still underway, and The Sporting News will update accordingly with more information.
What is MLB’s gambling policy?
As gambling has become more prevalent in sports culture, more and more athletes have been caught betting. MLB has largely avoided that recent wave until Ohtani and Mizuhara.
MLB’s gambling policy states that players, umpires or any league or team official or employee cannot bet on any baseball game, regardless if they are directly connected to it.
If one bets on a game not connected to themselves, a one-year suspension is enforced. If they are connected to the game, it’s a permanent suspension.
Neither of these likely affect Ohtani as long as statements line up that Mizuhara was the one gambling — and he said he did not bet on baseball.
The other portion of the policy is in regards to illegal bookmakers like Bowyer. Players, umpires or any league or team official or employee cannot place bets with illegal bookmakers nor can they work for one.
The latter would result in a one-year suspension, while the former’s punishment is left up to the commissioner’s discretion based on “the facts and circumstances of the conduct.”
Previous MLB gambling punishments
As mentioned, MLB has mostly avoided major gambling scandals in recent years as other pro sports leagues are enduring them more often.
That said, MLB’s all-time hits leader, Pete Rose, is permanently banned from the league because he gambled on MLB games, including his own Cincinnati Reds when he was a manager and player-manager during the mid-to-late 1980s.
MORE: Pete Rose’s gambling scandal
The other major gambling scandal game in 1919 with the Chicago White Sox, also known as the Black Sox scandal. Members of the team were banned for working with gamblers to throw the 1919 World Series in exchange for cash.
There have been a handful of other smaller gambling scandals in baseball’s earliest days, but none greater than Rose and the Black Sox.
