Japanese Player Says Shohei Ohtani's Ex-Interpreter Taught Them How To Gamble At Arizona Casinos

Shohei Ohtani has helped the Los Angeles Dodgers jump out to a 3-1 record to start 2024, but for many fans, he has plenty of questions left to answer.

Ohtani earlier this week addressed some of those questions in a statement claiming that Ippei Mizuhara, his former interpreter, had effectively stolen money from him to pay off allegedly illegal sports gambling debts. That didn't assuage all remaining doubts however, with fans and commentators wondering how the interpreter would have access to his accounts.

Some former interpreters though, came forward to say that they too had access to the bank accounts of players they worked with. 

READ: Multiple MLB Interpreters Back Up Possible Shohei Ohtani Explanation

Now a story out of Japan has added another layer to Mizuhara's story, which seems to lend even more credibility to Ohtani's version of events. According to a translation of an article in Bunshun, one former player with the Nippon Ham Fighters, a Japanese professional baseball team, said Mizuhara would frequently take players to casinos in the U.S. during training camps in Arizona to teach them how to gamble. 

"Going to the casino was a regular event during the Arizona camp until the team banned it," the story reads. "Ippei, who had experience in casinos, told the players, 'Don't go to the tables in the back,' etc. Ippei didn't earn a high salary, so he didn't bet big money like the players..."

Dec 14, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtan (left) speaks to interpreter Ippei Mizuhara at introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Shohei Ohtani Interpreter Investigation Over Soon?

Mizuhara also reportedly attended casino school, and seemingly lied about his education history with UC Riverside. While none of this entirely proves Ohtani's story, it does lend believability to the idea that Mizuhara would be gambling on sports without Ohtani's knowledge. 

Especially considering Ohtani's wealth, it would be easy for him to gamble legally on sports, if he chose to do so. But an interpreter with fewer resources and a lengthy history of gambling would be much more susceptible to the convenience of an illegal bookie. Especially if that bookie was willing to grant him higher credit limits because of his association with Ohtani.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred previously stated that he hopes the league's investigation will be "short," and that he realizes how important it is for the public to have confidence that Ohtani is telling the truth.

"Given the way the story unfolded, it’s important in terms of assuring our fans about the integrity of the game that we verify the things that Mr. Ohtani has said, and it’s really that simple," Manfred said during an interview on MLB Network. 

While he didn't give an official timeline for the investigation, an official statement from MLB confirming Ohtani's accounting would go a long way towards restoring his reputation with fans.