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Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, now serving a 57-month prison sentence, stole millions from the MLB star’s account to cover gambling debts. According to illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer, Mizuhara once had a $40 million credit line and owed him $24 million.
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Bowyer told the WiseKracks podcast the betting began with a $1,000 wager on Turkish soccer. Mizuhara, introduced at a poker game, quickly moved from an $8,000 line to hundreds of thousands. Eventually, he was wiring Bowyer $500,000 at a time from Ohtani’s bank account.
“I didn’t think the interpreter for Shohei Ohtani was going to stiff me,” Bowyer admitted. “Clearly he’s a bad gambler and greedy-wise I’m like, yeah, so I gave him $500K.”
Bowyer insists Ohtani never bet. To prove it, he checked wagers during a game where Ohtani was pitching and saw soccer bets come in while Ohtani was on the mound. Still, Bowyer questions whether Ohtani knew Mizuhara was using his account.
“The greedy side of me said, ‘I have the best customer on the planet,’” Bowyer said. “But clearly, he stole the money. That’s what he’s in prison for.”
Bowyer claims $13 million of Ohtani’s stolen funds went through Resorts World Las Vegas, where he gambled heavily. Nevada regulators fined the casino $10.5 million in 2024 for compliance failures, but Bowyer complains federal authorities have not pursued the venue further.
“I take accountability for my own actions, but it’s kind of sad that the casino got away with all the money,” Bowyer said.