Illegal Bookie Linked with Ex-Ohtani Interpreter Jailed; Has Ohtani Moved Past Scandal?

• Matthew Bowyer, who is associated with Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has received one year in prison for his role in the gambling scandal.
• Mizuhara is serving a 57-month sentence for bank fraud and tax evasion.
• Ohtani seems to have gotten off with no issues, and is not associated with the gambling scandal.

Matthew Bowyer, who received money from Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter in a gambling scandal, has gotten a year in prison for his role.

The interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, received 57 months for making millions of dollars in bets. Ohtani, meanwhile, continues to play baseball without any issues.

Bowyer Received Lighter Sentence Because of Assistance in Mizuhara Conviction

The news of Bowyer’s sentence was broken by ESPN on Friday afternoon, August 29.

Bowyer will spend 12 months and a day in prison, along with two years of supervised release, and has to treat his gambling addiction. He also had to pay back $1.6 million ahead of the sentencing.

Bowyer received a lighter sentence on his convictions for money laundering and a falsified tax return, among other charges, as he helped to convict Mizuhara, who was Ohtani’s interpreter. Mizuhara was found guilty of tax evasion and bank fraud, and stole $17 million from Ohtani’s accounts to pay for his gambling debts.

Bowyer sat down with ESPN and said:

"He (Mizuhara) definitely was betting all night long, all the time. I've never seen anything like it. $100,000 on a draw, Ukraine vs. Turkey. $100,000 on Saudi Arabia."

Mizuhara made almost 20,000 bets in three years with Bowyer, who also ran an illegal gambling business. The former Ohtani interpreter is now serving a 57-month sentence in a low-security prison, which started in February 2025.

Ohtani Hasn’t Been Affected by Gambling Scandal, On or Off Field

It doesn’t seem like the Ohtani gambling scandal has affected the two-time American League MVP and reigning National League MVP. MLB MVP odds have Ohtani as a massive favorite to win it in the National League once again, and now he’s back on the mound. A shoulder injury meant Ohtani didn’t pitch until June.

But Ohtani, who is famously private, hasn’t said much, if anything at all, about the gambling scandal. It seems like the baseball world has moved past it, or at least, they’re not associating Ohtani with any wrongdoing. He is the victim here, having lost so much money.

Ohtani is happy to put it in the past and continue on his path of being, arguably, the greatest baseball player that has ever lived. If anything, more athletes are probably keeping a closer eye on their entourage and, more importantly, their bank accounts!