Special reporter Wang Yi and Feng Yi
"Whether it's good or bad, Shohei Otani has once again become the biggest news in the baseball world." The American "Boston Herald" reported on March 31 with this title, just as Japanese baseball star Ohtani When Shohei was preparing to start a new career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was questioned by public opinion as "completely unaware" because his personal translator, Mizuhara Ippei, was suspected of stealing millions of dollars from his account to repay gambling debts. This gambling scandal that has engulfed the American sports world has also attracted great attention from the media in many countries.
"Less than ideal headlines"
As the gambling scandal involving former translator Mizuhara Ippei continues to unfold, Shohei Ohtani, who has always maintained a low profile in private, has been placed at the forefront of public opinion. On March 25, Shohei Ohtani held a press conference accompanied by his new translator Will Elton, emphasizing that he had never "bet" on baseball or other sports, and accused his former translator and close friend Ippei Mizuhara of "betting" theft".
"For baseball and sports circles, the news about Otani is worrying." CNN said on March 29 that the incident became "less than ideal headlines", and with the federal criminal case The investigation, as well as Major League Baseball's (MLB) internal investigation, continues, and "the public should soon know why Suwon was able to access Ohtani's bank account and transfer $4.5 million to sports betting companies." Japan's "Asahi Shimbun" also stated on March 30 that when about 4.5 million U.S. dollars were transferred to illegal casinos in batches, Otani himself, his agent, and the bank were unaware of it, which is contrary to common sense.
"Blue Dodgers", a news website established by Los Angeles Dodgers fans, issued an article on March 31 saying that at a previous press conference, Ohtani avoided the question of "why he only recently noticed that millions of dollars were stolen from his account." Instead of answering, he only said that the relevant authorities had been notified of the situation.
"The unknown situation is greater than the known situation"
Japan's "Mainichi Shimbun" quoted a report from the United States' "Orange County Chronicle" on April 1 as saying that Suwon Ippei still has unpaid gambling debts. According to people familiar with the matter, Suwon initially placed small bets on "football, basketball, rugby and other sports." As the losses increased, the amount of money he was involved in became larger and larger. Matthew Boyer, the illegal sports gambling operator involved, was He extended “a credit.”
It was revealed that Matthew Boyer runs a sports betting company, and although he himself "never spoke to Daegu", he "wasn't shy about bragging about it" when he learned that Daegu's bank account was used to pay off Suwon's debts. Ohtani is his customer” and thinks this will bring him “more business.” In addition, Boyer also had business dealings with former minor league baseball (milb) players suspected of gambling.
The Associated Press reported that MLB Chairman Manfred recently said that the Internal Revenue Service has confirmed that Suwon and Boyer, who is suspected of illegal gambling, are under criminal investigation by the Los Angeles office, and hopes that the investigation on Datani’s “gambling” will not Lasts too long.
Manfred also argued: "Whether or not we have a relationship with any particular company, any gambling enterprise, sports betting will continue in the United States. The fact is, the Supreme Court ruling opened up the situation and sports betting will continue in the United States." It exists in the United States, and there is nothing we can do about it.” According to the Los Angeles Times, California is still among the 12 states in the United States that ban sports betting.
According to the British "Financial Times", the unknown situation is currently greater than the known situation, and "wild speculation on both sides of the Pacific" may put both Ohtani and American Baseball in trouble.
The illegal sports betting market is booming
The 29-year-old Shohei Ohtani joined the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. He is famous in MLB for his rare "two-point play" in both pitching and hitting. He is also the first MLB "Most Valuable Player" to be elected unanimously twice. He also relied on his extraordinary performance to sign a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers at the end of 2023.
According to CNN, in 2017, only Nevada in the United States made sports betting legal, but in 2018 the Supreme Court ruled to allow states to legalize sports betting, which is now legal in 38 states.According to data from the American Gambling Association, Americans gambling on sports reached a record $119.84 billion in 2023.
The American sports subscription website "the athletic" reported on April 1 that a 2022 report from the American Gambling Association estimated that Americans bet a total of $63.8 billion on illegal bookmakers and unregulated offshore websites in 2021 . Grover, an American gambling entrepreneur, said in an interview: "The situation in Dagu is a good reminder that the illegal market is still prosperous."
The "Los Angeles Times" stated that all sports leagues in the United States cooperate with sports betting companies in various ways . The Associated Press said relevant teams will also sell official league data to sports betting companies. Traditional media are facing increasing pressure to survive, and sports newspapers or magazines are also treating the gambling economy as a life raft.
"Ask Otani, sports betting is linked to reputational damage." The Los Angeles Times commented. ▲
