• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Bookie at Center of Ohtani Scandal Reportedly Encouraged Belief Star Was a Client

  • Bowyer’s attorney has said that he never met or interacted with Ohtani. 
  • It’s unknown whether Ohtani knew he was used for potential business.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters via USA TODAY Sports

Was Shohei Ohtani a client of an illegal Orange County bookie? The bookie, Mathew Bowyer, reportedly encouraged that idea, according to ESPN

Bowyer, the bookie at the center of the betting scandal surrounding Ohtani and his former translator, Ippei Mizuhara, “allowed people to believe” the Dodgers’ two-way star was a client as a way to improve business, ESPN’s Trisha Thompson wrote, citing a source close to the gambling operation. 

Bowyer’s attorney, Diane Bass, told ESPN that Ohtani had never met or spoke to Bowyer. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Front Office Sports. Ohtani’s camp says he has been a victim of theft by Mizuhara and denies that he did anything wrong.

Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday after two stories were published on wire transfers from Ohtani’s accounts to Bowyer. California is one of the 12 states in which sports gambling is illegal, making any of Mizuhara’s bets in California against the law. MLB has yet to announce an investigation on the matter and Ohtani hasn’t spoken to reporters since the news became public. 

The story is murky: Mizuhara initially claimed that Ohtani made the wire transfers himself, after Mizuhara racked up millions in betting debts, before the story changed. A day after Mizuhara told ESPN that Ohtani made the transfers, both Mizuhara and Ohtani’s camp said that the interpreter had actually stolen the money and Ohtani only became aware of the missing funds this week. 

It’s also unclear how exactly Bowyer may have used Ohtani’s name to drum up business. 

Mizuhara’s bets were on international soccer, he told ESPN, in addition to other sports—but not baseball—and started in 2021. MLB players and employees are allowed to bet on sports other than baseball, but not with illegal bookmakers or offshore accounts. Bowyer’s house was recently raided as part of a federal investigation into an alleged bookmaking operation in California, but he has yet to be charged with a crime. 

Baseball has a long history of cracking down on even minor associations with gamblers. At a minimum, If Ohtani knowingly paid off Mizuhara’s debts to an illegal bookie, as Mizuhara initially claimed, he may have broken federal law. Until more is revealed, speculation will continue to fill the vacuum created by the silence of all involved parties. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jul 14, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the 2025 Home Run Derby at Truist Park.

MLB Enters Crucial Second Half With Big Questions Looming

Media, labor, and Cal Raleigh are among the top second-half storylines.
Cal Raleigh

Home Run Derby Came Down to a 1-Inch Hawk-Eye Measurement

One expert is skeptical that the measurement could be that precise.
May 15, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; United States Capitol seen as People rally outside the Supreme Court before justices hears oral arguments in Trump v. CASA, Inc. At issue in the case is if the Supreme Court should stay the district courts' nationwide preliminary injunctions on the Trump administration’s executive order ending birthright citizenship.

Pro-NCAA Bill Takes First Step Toward Being Introduced on House Floor for..

It could be the first bill of its kind to make it to the House floor.

Featured Today

May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.
July 12, 2025

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.
July 11, 2025

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
DraftKings
exclusive

DraftKings in Talks to Acquire Prediction Market Railbird Exchange

Sportsbooks and prediction markets are becoming increasingly intertwined.
Mar 16, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; The BetMGM Sportsbook at the Mandalay Bay resort and casino.
July 11, 2025

Support Grows to Repeal Gambling Tax in Trump Budget Bill

A new bill has been introduced in the Senate.
A view of the FanDuel Sportsbook betting area at Belterra Park Cincinnati.
July 11, 2025

Flutter Acquires Full Ownership of FanDuel in $1.75B Deal With Boyd Gaming

FanDuel just got a $31 billion price tag.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
July 8, 2025

Betway Parent to Complete U.S. Exodus, Blames Tax Volatility

“Recent regulatory developments” were cited. 
Sports are shown on TVs behind a bar as guests enjoy the grand opening of DraftKings Sports & Social in Ohio.
July 7, 2025

California AG Has Declared Daily Fantasy Sports Are Illegal. Now What?

The opinion might spark a broader DFS conversation in the state.
Dec 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) passes the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field.
July 3, 2025

California AG Says Daily Fantasy Sports Are Illegal

The AG rejected arguments that DFS are games of skill, not chance.
Jun 9, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Luis Ortiz (45) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field.
July 3, 2025

Guardians Pitcher Luis Ortiz Put on Paid Leave Amid MLB Gambling Probe

Reports say the investigation is tied to gambling.