Dodgers famous person Shohei Ohtani kicked off the 2024 season — and his 10-year, $700 million contract — by going 2 for five in opposition to the Padres within the first MLB regular-season recreation of the 12 months, a 5-2 L.A. victory over the Padres in Seoul, South Korea. However earlier than he and the group might even put together for Recreation 2, a scandal had boiled up across the two-way participant. Ohtani’s legal professionals have accused his now-former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, of stealing hundreds of thousands of {dollars} from him to cowl unlawful playing money owed. 

“In the middle of responding to current media inquiries, we found that Shohei has been the sufferer of a large theft and we’re turning the matter over to the authorities,” a spokesperson for Berk Brettler regulation agency instructed CBS Sports activities.

Mizuhara has modified his story already, first telling ESPN that Ohtani had willingly given him the cash, then saying a day later that Ohtani had been unaware of the funds. Mizuhara reportedly addressed the clubhouse about his playing after the season opener in Seoul, simply hours earlier than he was fired by the Dodgers and Ohtani’s legal professionals made the assertion about “large theft.” Mizuhara additionally instructed ESPN that he didn’t wager on baseball.

“The Dodgers are conscious of media reviews and are gathering info,” a group spokesperson said in a statement final week. “The group can affirm that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has been terminated. The group has no additional remark right now.”

No one has alleged that Ohtani knew about Mizuhara making the bets earlier than they occurred or that he was playing himself, however his obvious involvement, whether or not voluntary or not, has raised questions. CBS Sports activities spoke to a authorized skilled to attempt to reply some.

May Ohtani face authorized bother?

The unlawful bookmaker Mizuhara was allegedly working with, Mathew Bowyer of Orange County, is below federal investigation and had his home raided by investigators final 12 months, in response to the Los Angeles Occasions. Bowyer’s lawyer, who instructed CBS Sports activities that her shopper “had no contact with Mr. Ohtani,” instructed the Occasions that her shopper has not but been charged with any crimes.

The identical federal investigators trying into Bowyer have additionally reportedly been engaged on a wide-reaching playing operation within the space, one which has even roped in former Dodgers participant Yasiel Puig, although it is unclear if the 2 are formally associated. 

The Division of Justice declined to remark when reached by CBS Sports activities.

Which model of Mizuhara’s story is true (or if neither is) might decide Ohtani’s culpability, I. Nelson Rose, an skilled on playing regulation and co-founder of the California Council on Downside Playing, instructed CBS Sports activities.

“There are such a lot of potential crimes right here, state and federal, and the large risks with violating the anti-gambling legal guidelines is that they’re all written to go after organized crime, which suggests all of the organized crime statutes can kick in, like RICO and cash laundering,” mentioned Rose, who has served as a authorities marketing consultant to entities together with the Arizona Division of Gaming, the Delaware State Lottery, the Illinois Gaming Board, the Michigan State Lottery and the New Mexico Gaming Management Board.

If Ohtani did knowingly wire the cash to pay Mizuhara’s debt, both to Mizuhara or on to the bookie, he could possibly be thought of complicit in serving to an unlawful gambler accumulate, in response to Rose.

“In different phrases, he is serving to the bookie accumulate the debt. It will get terribly dangerous if he knew any of this was happening and agreed to it,” Rose mentioned.

All of this, once more, would solely be an possibility if Ohtani voluntarily handed over the cash, whether or not to Mizuhara or Bowyer, in response to Rose. If the cash was stolen, as Ohtani’s legal professionals alleged, he couldn’t be thought of an confederate.

“What I am unable to work out is why the legal professionals did not inform everybody to only shut up,” Rose instructed CBS Sports activities.

What do the MLB guidelines say?

Playing on baseball (and softball) is strictly banned for MLB staff, however they’re allowed to position authorized bets on different sports activities.

Any participant, umpire, or Membership or League official or worker who locations bets with unlawful e-book makers, or brokers for unlawful e-book makers, shall be topic to such penalty because the Commissioner deems acceptable in gentle of the details and circumstances of the conduct. Any participant, umpire, or Membership or League official or worker who operates or works for an unlawful bookmaking enterprise shall be topic to a minimal of a one-year suspension by the Commissioner. For functions of this provision, an unlawful bookmaker is a person who accepts, locations or handles wagers on sporting occasions from members of the general public as a part of a gaming operation that’s illegal within the jurisdiction wherein the bets are accepted. 

Mizuhara claimed to ESPN that he by no means gambled on baseball and as an alternative wager on worldwide soccer, the NBA, the NFL and school soccer. A Dodgers spokesperson instructed the outlet that Mizuhara met with the group after Wednesday’s recreation and instructed gamers he had a playing habit.

As for Ohtani, he has not been accused of inserting any bets himself. “Ohtani is just not presently dealing with self-discipline,” an MLB official instructed The Athletic. MLB is monitoring the state of affairs and plans to collect details, CBS Sports activities has discovered. The league was not notified concerning the investigation earlier than the information broke publicly.