Regarding the issue of illegal gambling by Ippei Mizuhara, who was the exclusive interpreter for Major League Baseball player Shohei Otani of the Dodgers, a lawyer representing a man at a betting shop who is said to have had contact with Ippei Mizuhara gave an interview to CNN TV in the United States. In response, the man said, ``The man has not spoken to Shohei Otani, sent any e-mails or messages, and has never had any contact with Shohei Otani.''He added that the exchange regarding betting was only between him and Mr. Mizuhara. I insisted.
Regarding the reason why Otani's name came up, he said, ``During the investigation, it was discovered that Otani's name was on one of the transfers of bets paid to a man's organization. ``understood that the transfer was made by Mr. Mizuhara or that Mr. Otani provided assistance on behalf of Mr. Mizuhara.''
On the other hand, a lawyer representing the man did not directly mention when Mr. Mizuhara started gambling illegally, but did say when the man and Mr. Mizuhara first met, ``It was after the Padres game in San Diego. There's been a lot of misinformation about the timing, and I think the original article said 2021. I'm pretty sure they met in 2022."
Although the exact amount and frequency of Mr. Mizuhara's bets is unknown, he admitted that he bet regularly, saying, ``I bet mainly on soccer, but I also occasionally bet on American football and basketball. ``I have never bet on baseball,'' he said.
When asked why Mr. Mizuhara continued to gamble for such a long period of time, the lawyer replied, ``At first, Mr. Mizuhara paid regularly. Gambling can become an addiction, so at some point he started gambling.'' I couldn't bear it anymore,'' he replied.
He added, ``Mr. Mizuhara himself and other men will say that Mr. Mizuhara was bad at gambling. Gambling makes many people addicted. That's probably why Las Vegas is doing so well.''
Bettor: ``Because he's Otani's best friend,'' Mr. Mizuhara's huge debt will also be involved.
In the United States, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in 2018 left the legalization of sports betting to each state, and the number of states that allow sports betting has increased, and it is now legal in 38 states.
Sports betting in the United States is carried out at registered betting shops called "bookmakers," and the market size continues to expand, and according to the American Gaming Association, sports betting revenue in 2023 is expected to increase. is estimated to be worth over $10 billion.
Sports betting is still illegal in California, where Otani and Mr. Mizuhara live, and the company where Mr. Mizuhara is said to have made a large amount of debt is an illegal betting shop that is not even registered.
In a phone interview conducted by sports channel ESPN on the 19th, Mizuhara revealed that he met a man at a betting shop while playing poker in San Diego, California in 2021.
According to the Washington Post, court records show the betting shopman has repeatedly spent large amounts of money at casinos, including filing for bankruptcy in 2011 after losing a total of $425,000 at a Las Vegas casino. Rumors have been circulating in the casino industry that he has been operating an illegal betting shop since around 2019.
A lawyer representing the betting shop told the Washington Post why Mizuhara was allowed to participate in the betting even though Mizuhara's debts had ballooned to a huge amount, saying, ``Mr. Because he's my best friend.''
The Washington Post article cited recent allegations of illegal gambling involving people close to former baseball players and famous basketball players. "It gave us a glimpse of society again."
Sports betting in the United States: What is the difference between states that allow it and illegal gambling?
According to Takashi Kiso, director of the International Casino Research Institute, who is familiar with the gambling situation in the United States, sports betting is allowed in 38 states in the United States, but is illegal in states such as California.
In states that allow sports betting, betting operators place limits on the amount that can be wagered, but in illegal gambling, large amounts of money can be wagered without any limits, and the bets can be paid later. This means that it is common for people to be able to pay off their bills.
Director Kiso said, ``California has a large population and economy, but sports betting is not permitted in California, so it is believed that so-called ``underground'' gambling operators are forming a huge market. Because they have the ability to collect money, they have the tendency to force the other party to pay their bills without limit, leading to debts snowballing.''
He went on to say, ``We don't know how such a huge amount of money was transferred without Otani's knowledge, and this will likely be the focus of future investigations.''