News in Easy English: Report says Ohtani’s ex-interpreter still has gambling debt – The

Ippei Mizuhara, left, stands next to Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani and translates during an interview at Dodger Stadium on Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

NEW YORK — A California newspaper says that Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara still has gambling debt. The Dodgers fired Mizuhara after accusations he had gambled and stolen money.

The Orange County Register reported on March 27 that a source connected to a California bookmaker named Mathew Bowyer said that Mizuhara, aged 39, has “gambling debts that he hasn’t paid.” The report did not say the exact amount of debt.

Sources close to the situation explained that Mizuhara started with small bets on sports other than baseball. But as he lost more, he began betting larger amounts. Mizuhara himself told the U.S. sports channel ESPN that Bowyer provided him with credit.

It’s believed that Mizuhara falsely claimed that Ohtani was covering his debt repayments when American media asked him if Ohtani was involved in sports betting. After that, he was fired by the Dodgers.

ESPN and other reports stated that Mizuhara owed money to a bookmaking operation in Southern California, and that over $4.5 million was transferred from Ohtani’s bank account to this operation.

(Japanese originalby Toshiya Nakamura, New York Bureau)

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