The origin of the betting scandal involving Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, is explained here
The baseball world was rocked in early 2024 by an unsettling revelation: Shohei Ohtani, Major League Baseball’s two-way superstar, had been betrayed from within his inner circle. His longtime interpreter and confidant, Ippei Mizuhara, was accused of stealing millions from Ohtani to fund a crippling gambling addiction. What began as whispers of financial irregularities spiraled into a federal investigation, culminating in fraud charges, a guilty plea, and a prison sentence. This is how the scandal unfurled—and why its fallout continues to reverberate beyond the diamond.
Mizuhara had been much more than a translator. Since joining Ohtani in 2018 with the Los Angeles Angels, he became a trusted ally—interpreting interviews, catching bullpen sessions (including during the 2021 Home Run Derby), and often serving as Ohtani’s right-hand man. When Ohtani signed his record-breaking $700 million contract with the Dodgers in 2023, Mizuhara was at his side as the bond between them deepened.
But in March 2024, ESPN broke the dam: at least $4.5 million in wire transfers had gone from Ohtani’s account to an offshore bookmaker. Mizuhara initially claimed Ohtani had approved the payments to help with Mizuhara’s gambling debt. Yet by midday, Ohtani’s legal team issued a statement: the player was a victim of massive theft. The first domino had fallen.
Investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and MLB opened inquiries. Authorities discovered that Mizuhara had initiated the scheme in 2021, using account access he helped establish back in 2018. He had changed account settings—email, phone, security—redirecting verification calls to himself, masking his illicit transfers. In total, nearly $17 million was siphoned off to pay billions in bets with never a penny going to Ohtani.
Mizuhara placed approximately 19,000 wagers across international sports—NFL, college football, soccer—reportedly betting $10 to $160,000 each time, averaging over $12,800 per bet. His “wins” totaled over $142 million, but his losses reached $183 million. It was a catastrophic 40-million-dollar net loss.
Upon discovery, the Dodgers swiftly fired Mizuhara. A March 2024 court appearance followed, where he agreed to undergo compulsory gambling addiction treatment as bond conditions and apologized to Ohtani, the Dodgers, MLB, and his family.
By June, Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank fraud and filing false tax returns. Prosecutors noted he had impersonated Ohtani in bank calls—over two dozen times—to authorize the wire transfers. No evidence suggested Ohtani knew of the scheme. Mizuhara faced serious penalties: up to 30 years for fraud and three years for tax misrepresentation, along with hefty restitution—about $17 million to Ohtani and over $1 million to the IRS.
In February 2025, he was sentenced to 57 months in prison, plus three years of supervised release, and a restitution order totaling $18 million. Investigators deemed the deception “deep” and “extensive.” Mizuhara began serving his sentence in mid-June at a federal facility in Pennsylvania.
Throughout the ordeal, authorities emphasized Ohtani’s lack of involvement. MLB launched its own investigation, while Ohtani consistently maintained his innocence, expressing gratitude to investigators and focusing on his return to baseball.
Despite the betrayal, Ohtani’s resilience has changed the narrative: he remains a figure of integrity rather than scandal. As the interpreter—once his daily companion—now serves time, the scandal stands as a cautionary tale of trust, deception, and vulnerability within the high-stakes world of international sports.
