JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Shohei Ohtani’s Interpreter Linked to Illegal Bookie as Resorts World Las Vegas Faces Investigation
The Nevada Gaming Control Board filed a disciplinary complaint Thursday saying that one of the major casinos on the Las Vegas Strip encouraged illicit bookmaking.
![Shohei Ohtani [Credit-Getty]](https://www.pinkvilla.com/images/2024-08/535432617_shohei-ohtani-credit-getty.jpg "Shohei Ohtani [Credit-Getty]")
The Nevada Gaming Control Board stated Thursday that Resorts World Las Vegas is facing a disciplinary complaint.
This is significant because major casinos rarely face substantial disciplinary complaints from the Nevada Gaming Control Board. However, this particular case involves MLB All-Star Shohei Ohtani. The complaint alleges that Resorts World Las Vegas allowed illegal bookmakers and individuals with ties to illegal gaming to place bets within the casino.
Among those mentioned in the 12-count lawsuit was Matthew Bowyer, who pled guilty in federal court "to operating an unlawful gambling business, money laundering, and subscribing to a false tax return." Bowyer was also the illegal bookie who accepted bets for Shohei Ohtani's discredited interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, who is now an Uber Eats driver.
Ippei Mizuhara has already pleaded guilty to his involvement in stealing $17 million from Japanese mega-star Shohei Ohtani and used it to go on a gambling spree, for which he faces up to 33 years in federal prison. He is thought to have placed about 19,000 sports bets between December 2021 and January 2024, before his acts were detected.
Resorts World Las Vegas is one of Sin City's newest casinos, debuting in 2021. Matthew Bowyer is said to have lost more than $6.6 million while gambling at Resorts World Las Vegas between July 2022 and October 2023, according to NBC's 3 News Las Vegas.
In a news statement, the Nevada Gaming Control Board stated, "The culture within Resorts World created the perception, or reality in certain circumstances, that Resorts World is an avenue to launder funds derived from illegal activity." They claim Resorts World officials either "negligently disregarded" or "willfully ignored for financial gain" while neglecting its anti-money laundering program.
Depending on how the inquiry unfolds, the casino might face massive penalties and also potentially lose its betting license.
The former translator for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud on Tuesday, admitting to taking over $17 million from the Japanese baseball phenom to pay off sports betting bills.
Ippei Mizuhara's misdeeds shocked the baseball world, destroying his reputation as Ohtani's shadow in ballparks throughout the United States. He pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Santa Ana, California.
For years, the former interpreter exploited his personal and professional ties with Ohtani to embezzle millions from the two-way player's account, even going so far as to impersonate Ohtani in front of bankers. Mizuhara signed a plea deal outlining the charges on May 5, and prosecutors made it public a few days later.
Mizuhara's lawyer declined to comment outside the courthouse. Mizuhara spoke briefly in court, admitting his guilt. "I worked for victim A and had access to his bank account and had fallen into major gambling debt," he said to the jury. "I went ahead and wired money … with his bank account."
You May Like This
Latest Articles
