Attorney Jeff Ifler, a former American prosecutor and expert on sports betting, spoke to NHK about the alleged involvement of Ippei Mizuhara, who served as exclusive interpreter for Major League Baseball player Shohei Otani of the Dodgers, in illegal gambling. I complied.

Regarding Otani's mention of "theft and fraud" at his press conference

Regarding Otani's reference to ``theft and fraud'' at a press conference on the 25th, Iffler said, ``As of now, there is no evidence that Otani has reported it to the investigative authorities, that an investigation is underway, or that it has not been made public.'' There is no evidence that Mr. Otani's bank account passwords and other personal information was handed over to Mr. Mizuhara, and he was able to use it. ``All of this must be true, that Ohtani was unaware that the $4.5 million had been transferred.''



He added, ``A lot of evidence and proof work will be needed to find out how the money was transferred without Otani's knowledge or consent.''

Regarding the investigation into Mr. Mizuhara and the betting shop man

Regarding the investigation into Mr. Mizuhara and the betting shop man known as the "bookmaker," he said, "It's not that difficult," adding, "We need to obtain bank information and investigate in detail the bookmaker who was hosting the gambling. Who was supporting the bookmaker's work? Where were the bets made? Was it in the US or overseas? Who else was sending the money? A similar investigation was conducted regarding Mr. Mizuhara. The focus will be on whether Mr. Mizuhara will say that he stole money from Otani or that he was trying to return the money to Otani."



Regarding the impact on Otani, he said, ``I don't think anything will happen to Otani.In terms of the worst case scenario, it has already happened. He was surrounded by people who trampled on his trust.It must be very difficult for Otani.Mr. Mizuhara could be prosecuted for illegal gambling, but Mr. Mizuhara is just a customer of the gambling business. So, I think that's not going to happen.''

The reality of illegal gambling

Regarding the actual state of illegal gambling that Mr. Mizuhara is said to have been involved in, he said, ``Betting in units of $500,000 or $1 million is not possible through illegal online gambling, which is generally done. In this case, Mr. Mizuhara may have used Otani's name and credibility to place large bets. The manufacturer may have had Mr. Mizuhara bet on Otani because he was a friend of Mr. Mizuhara's and expected that he would be able to cover the lost bet."



Mr. Iffler said some of his clients include athletes who have gotten into trouble over sports betting. ``Professional athletes have to learn more about managing their assets. However, since they are not trained to manage such assets, they end up trusting the people around them. In many cases, that trust is honored, but sometimes it is not. There have been no such cases in the past. This is what has happened," he said.

What do American university professors who are familiar with gambling addiction think?

American media have previously reported that Mizuhara had racked up a large amount of debt from sports betting, which is illegal in California, and that he had explained to his teammates that he had a "gambling addiction."



In 2018, sports betting became legal in the United States at the discretion of the state, and is currently allowed in 38 states.



James Whalen, a professor at the University of Memphis who is an expert on gambling addiction, told NHK that since 2018, people addicted to sports gambling have begun to visit his clinic.



The number of people visiting is gradually increasing, and there are more men than women, and the ages are between 25 and 35, which means they are younger than previous gambling addicts, have jobs, have an income, and are free. People who have a lot of money to spend on things also stand out.



Professor Whalen explains that men are generally more familiar with watching sports, that the younger generation is more interested in the sports they bet on, and that they can easily place bets using smartphones. I think there is.



In addition, among the people who visit the clinic, there have been cases where people who had not become addicted to other types of gambling have become addicted to sports betting, so they are becoming a target for betting. Our analysis suggests that people become obsessed with familiar sports because they believe they are knowledgeable about them.



Characteristics of the behavior of people with gambling addiction include trying to hide their addiction from those around them and doing things they would never do before, including illegal things, in order to get money for gambling. I made a point.



He added that it would not be surprising if Mr. Mizuhara were to act in the manner reported if he were addicted to gambling.



Furthermore, regarding treatment, he pointed out that ``cognitive behavioral therapy,'' which changes people's way of thinking and behavior through counseling, is effective.