Shohei Ohtani, who signed a record $700 million contract with baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, said he's never bet on sports or used a bookmaker, addressing gambling allegations that led to the firing of his friend and interpreter last week.
Ohtani said he didn't know until last week that his interpreter had a gambling problem and was in debt, adding he never "willfully" sent money to a bookmaker.
"I'm very saddened and shocked that someone who I trusted has done this," Ohtani, 29, said Monday at a Dodger Stadium press conference in Los Angeles.
The remarks may help quell the controversy surrounding Ohtani, who has become a symbol of Major League Baseball's efforts to expand its brand worldwide. The Dodgers, owned by investors led by billionaire Mark Walter, opened their regular season this month with two games in South Korea.
Betting on sports is legal in many states, but not in California, where the Japanese star has played since 2018. Major League Baseball prohibits players and other personnel from betting on its games. MLB rules also bar betting with illegal bookmakers.
Ippei Mizuhara, who served as Ohtani's interpreter for years, was fired by the Dodgers after ESPN reported he racked up $4.5 million in gambling debts with a bookmaker. Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged bookmaker, are under criminal investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the agency confirmed Monday.
Major League Baseball is also looking into the matter.
Wire transfers of at least $4.5 million were sent from Ohtani's bank accounts to the bookmaking operation run by Bowyer, ESPN
"I never agreed to pay off the debt or make payments to the bookmaker," Ohtani said through a new interpreter, adding his friend and former aide "was using my account."
An Ohtani spokesman told ESPN last week that the Dodgers player transferred the funds to cover Mizuhara's gambling debt. Later, the spokesman disavowed that account and Ohtani's lawyers at Berk Brettler LLP issued a statement.
"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," the firm said.
Diane Bass, an attorney for Bowyer, didn't respond to a request for comment on Monday.
The Dodgers signed the record contract with Ohtani in December. He's considered the best player in the game because of his hitting and pitching ability. He was the American League's Most Valuable Player in 2023 and 2021, when he played for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
A TV in the press box shows Shohei Ohtani during a news conference at Dodger Stadium on March 25. Photographer: Michael Owens/Getty Images
Baseball has grappled with gambling scandals over its long history. The Chicago White Sox were accused of throwing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds, in what became known as the Black Sox Scandal.
Pete Rose, baseball's all-time hits leader, was banned from baseball and from the Hall of Fame after an investigation concluded he gambled on games as a manager.
"In conclusion, I do want to make it clear that I never bet on sports or have willfully sent money to the bookmaker," Ohtani said.
