After sharing his redemption story exclusively with CasinoBeats in June, former illegal bookie Mathew Bowyer discussed his role in the Shohei Ohtani betting scandal on episode four of ESPN’s ongoing “30 for 30” podcast series yesterday.
The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani continued as Bowyer went into greater detail about his relationship with Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter who bilked $17M from Ohtani’s accounts to help cover his gambling losses.
“He was absolutely bananas, the amount of bets he was making,” Bowyer said. “Listen, I gambled bigger than most, right? And I sleep, you know, I have a life too. He definitely was betting all night long, all the time. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve seen some wild stuff, but never like this.”
It didn’t take Bowyer long to realize Mizuhara’s addictive tendencies.
“I think it was within 30 days, because once the numbers started getting higher and there was a request for higher figures, that’s when I got involved,” he said. “He bumped his account, bumped it again, I bumped it all the way to ($40K), and then he lost, and then I required payment.”
Bowyer said that “it sucks” to profit off somebody’s addiction, but also noted that he tried to find a balance with Mizuhara and others like him.
“You try to control it so that you can make money off that person, but control it so they don’t ruin themselves,” he said. “This is something every bookmaker that has a really good business will tell you. There’s a very fine line, and I think I did it better than anyone, truly.”
Bowyer also noted that Mizuhara mostly bet on soccer, and often on obscure matches, with wagers the bookie considered harder to win.
“Kazakhstan, you know, like that,” he said. “$100,000 on that, or $40,000 on a draw on this game.”
Bowyer added, “He was trying to dig out a hole, and that hole made him even more poor of a gambler because he’s betting big payout stuff, right? Knowing that he’s probably going to lose. And that just digs a deeper hole.”
How Much Did Ohtani Know?
Bowyer conceded his client list included players in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and NCAA. To his credit, he has never publicly named any of them, except Pete Rose, and that was after the baseball legend passed away.
“I believe 50% of athletes bet on sports,” Bowyer said.
It makes you wonder if Ohtani was ever among them. When Bowyer first learned of Ohtani’s name and account number appearing on a $500,000 wire transfer – “That was the holy shit moment” – the thought crossed his mind.
“I think he’s betting, absolutely,” Bowyer said.
There was a problem with that theory, however, as many bets were placed when Ohtani was actually playing for the Angels.
“I’ve been at Angel games when he was on the mound and throwing pitches, and bets are being placed,” Bowyer said. “So how could that happen? He is the most talented baseball player I’ve ever seen, but if he could get on a website on the mound, and throw a ball 100 miles an hour, then he is Godzilla for sure.”
Bowyer added, “That doesn’t mean that he wasn’t partners on the account and doesn’t mean that he wasn’t aware. I mean, everyone knows they were like best best friends. I mean, best friends. They were together more than a husband and wife ever are. That’s a fact. I was close with a lot of Angels’ players that would verify that these guys were inseparable.
“So, in my mind, that’s something best buddies would do, you gamble together, you hang out together.”
Given that relationship, it’s difficult to understand how Ohtani wasn’t at least aware of his interpreter’s gambling. Bowyer wasn’t sure exactly what to think back then.
“I’m giving this guy so much credit,” he recalled. “I’m watching the balance just decline, but I don’t know if it’s Shohei Otani. I don’t know if it’s Ippei. I thought Ippei was putting in bets either with or for Shohei Ohtani.”
In June 2024, MLB officially cleared Ohtani of having any involvement in or knowledge of illegal gambling.
The post Ex-Illegal Bookie Mathew Bowyer on Ohtani Interpreter’s Gambling: ‘Never Seen Anything Like It’ appeared first on CasinoBeats.
After sharing his redemption story exclusively with CasinoBeats in June, former illegal bookie Mathew Bowyer discussed his role in the Shohei Ohtani betting scandal on episode four of ESPN’s ongoing “30 for 30” podcast series yesterday. The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani continued as Bowyer went into greater detail about his relationship with Ippei Mizuhara, the
The post Ex-Illegal Bookie Mathew Bowyer on Ohtani Interpreter’s Gambling: ‘Never Seen Anything Like It’ appeared first on CasinoBeats.