Shohei Ohtani Allegedly Named Complicit in Ex-Interpreter’s $17M Gambling Fraud, Claims Acquitted Bookmaker

Shohei Ohtani just can’t seem to get out of the gambling scandal mess. MLB’s biggest star is in hot water yet again! Just days after his rather adorable incident with a heckler on the mound, the gambling has retaken center stage. This time, the allegations are coming from the man who is at the center of it all—Matthew Bowyer.

The Southern California bookmaker, who admitted to running the operation, fueled Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara’s, gambling addiction. And according to the bookmaker, the Dodgers star might know more than he lets on.

Bowyer, already acquitted in the case, insisted that while Ohtani was not the one placing bets, he for sure knew the money was going somewhere. “I definitely believe it was the interpreter. I don’t believe that Shohei Ohtani made any wagers… I do believe that Shohei Ohtani was aware of Ippei’s either gambling or borrowing money, or using some of his funds. To what extent and how long—that part is all up in the air.”

Now, according to Bowyer, Mizuhara didn’t get straight into the high-stakes betting. It really all started casually, small wagers here and there. But then it spiraled into a multimillion-dollar debt. Those losses are roughly around $17 million, according to Bowyer. And this has stunned the baseball community, not just because of the money. But because Mizuhara has been a loyal friend to Ohtani for years.

For MLB, this case is a nightmare. Ohtani is not just any other MLB star; he is the face of the game worldwide. He is known not just for his two-way talent but also for his humble nature and for his spotless image. He brings in a lot of sponsors and plenty of audience who watch just Shohei Ohtani and even make it to the stadiums to watch him play. The Ohtani craze in Japan during that series opener should have spoken volumes.

Now, investigators are still untangling the full scope of Bowyer’s gambling operation and Mizuhara’s role in it. More charges are expected to come in the coming weeks; for now, though, Ohtani’s rep hangs in the balance yet again.

Shohei Ohtani gets pulled into a $240 million real estate lawsuit! 

Just when you think things won’t go wrong with Ohtani’s image again, that his PR team might be handling everything, another news broke out just earlier this month. Ohtani was pulled into a real estate fight in Hawaii—a lawsuit has been filed against him and Nez Balelo, his agent. The lawsuit accuses Ohtani and Nez Balelo of using the star’s celebrity status to push out developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto from The Vista at Mauna Kea Resort. The $240 million luxury housing project featured 14 ocean view homes averaging around $17.3 million each. They had Ohtani lined up as both the first resident and the face of their global marketing push.

Now, according to the suit, Balelo’s demands kept on increasing over time. They pressure their partner, Kingsburn Realty Capital, to cut Hayes and Matsumoto loose. “Balelo and Otani, who were brought into the venture solely for Otani’s promotional and branding value, exploited their celebrity leverage to destabilize and ultimately dismantle Plaintiffs’ role in the project — for no reason other than their own financial self-interest,” the complaint mentioned.

The investors mention that their decade of work was undercut in an ambush. They claim that Kingsburn had admitted in a call that Balelo insisted on their termination while keeping Shohei Ohtani involved. So, for Hayes and Matsumoto, that decision left them on the sidelines. They had spent 11 years building the project, and it cost them emotionally, financially, and even physically. The entire fiasco has gone from Ohtani promoting it as his winter home to now a bitter legal dispute. Certainly, times are not great for two-way talent.