Baseball player Shohei Ohtani is considered the most valuable athlete in the world after signing a billion-dollar contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, worth R$3.5 billion. But he is at the center of a sports betting scandal.
Ohtani accuses his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, of theft and financial scam.
According to Ohtani, Mizuhara committed a “massive theft” of his assets, directing the funds to place sports bets with a bookmaker.
Thus, Mizuhara, fired last week, had a lawsuit filed with both the US IRS and Major League Baseball (MLB).
Amount lost in sports betting is R$23 million
Ohtani expressed his disappointment and shock at Mizuhara’s actions, saying at a press conference, “I’m very saddened and shocked that someone I trusted would do this.”
He stated that he never bet on any sport, nor did he ask anyone to do so for him. Therefore, the charges against Mizuhara focused on wire transfers from Ohtani’s account to a sports betting agency in California.
The total is at least US$4.5 million (R$23 million) in nine payments of US$500,000. But Mizuhara reportedly told Ohtani’s representatives that he had been gambling and had accumulated a large debt, asking the player for financial help.
However, Ohtani stated that until a few days ago he did not know what happened. The player revealed that Mizuhara finally admitted to having made the millionaire transfers from sports betting.
Initially, Mizuhara allegedly claimed that Ohtani was upset with him because he hates gambling, but that he agreed to pay the debts so that Mizuhara would never gamble again.
However, with investigations ongoing, Mizuhara admitted that this story was a lie and that Ohtani had no knowledge of his sports bets or debts.
MLB prohibits players and employees from placing bets
Major League Baseball (MLB) prohibits players and employees from placing bets on baseball and at illegal or offshore bookmakers.
But punishments are generally up to the teams. Ohtani, now involved in a controversy that has shaken the sporting world, hopes that the truth will be clarified and that appropriate measures will be taken.
