Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Mathew Bowyer, the Southern California bookmaker who accepted bets from Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling business, money laundering and filing a false tax return. On August 29, 2025, he was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and ordered to pay $1.6 million in restitution to the IRS. In interviews around his sentencing, Bowyer discussed his role and his account of the scandal; those recollections are his, while the court outcomes provide the established record.
Who was the bookie in the Ohtani betting scandal?
Bowyer ran an illegal sports-betting operation in Southern California. Mizuhara, Ohtani’s former interpreter, placed bets through the operation. The two men were defendants in separate federal cases: Bowyer pleaded guilty to offenses tied to his gambling business and finances, while authorities said Mizuhara stole money from Ohtani to fund his gambling.
In March 2024, early accounts included conflicting claims about transfers from Ohtani’s bank account and who had placed bets. Bowyer’s lawyer told The Washington Post that Mizuhara, not Ohtani, was the bettor. Later guilty pleas and sentencing clarified the criminal cases. Authorities described Ohtani as a victim of Mizuhara’s theft, not as a participant in the betting.
What did Bowyer say, and what is established?
Bowyer spoke about the scandal, his cooperation agreement and his personal account in interview coverage published around his sentencing. In a feature updated February 17, 2026, RG.org described him discussing his experiences and memoir, Recalibrate. These are interview statements, not findings established by a court. An ESPN video feature published on August 29, 2025, also presented Bowyer’s account ahead of sentencing.
#1 Best Overall
At sentencing, Bowyer told the court, “The bottom line is, I am remorseful. I have made many poor choices in my life,” according to the Associated Press. Speaking to reporters afterward, he called Ohtani “just an innocent guy playing baseball.” Ohtani’s position, as reproduced in RG.org’s interview feature, was: “I never bet on baseball, or any other sports, or asked anyone to do it on my behalf.”
Bowyer’s comments offer his perspective, but they should be read separately from the court record. His expressions of remorse and description of Ohtani do not change the findings in either criminal case.
Rank #2
What the cases established
Bowyer’s guilty plea and sentence
Bowyer pleaded guilty in 2024 to operating an illegal gambling business, money laundering and filing a false tax return. On August 29, 2025, he received a sentence of 12 months and one day and was ordered to pay $1.6 million in restitution to the IRS. The Associated Press reported that Bowyer’s attorney said the restitution had already been paid.
Mizuhara’s separate case
The Associated Press reported that Mizuhara stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani to fund gambling and was sentenced to five years in prison in 2025. That sentence was in Mizuhara’s case, not Bowyer’s.
Rank #3
The betting figures and their limits
The Associated Press, citing authorities, reported that Bowyer’s operation took bets from more than 700 bettors. For Mizuhara’s activity, AP reported more than $142 million in winnings, around $183 million in losing bets and nearly $41 million in net losses. These figures describe Mizuhara’s reported betting activity; they are not Bowyer’s business revenue or net profit.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why early accounts differ from the later record
Reports in March 2024 were published while investigators were still establishing what happened with the transfers and the betting. Bowyer’s lawyer’s statement to The Washington Post reflected that early dispute. Later pleas and court outcomes supply a firmer basis for describing the cases retrospectively: Mizuhara was the bettor who stole from Ohtani, while Bowyer operated the illegal betting business that accepted wagers from him.
The distinction matters when reading Bowyer’s later interviews. His statements can explain how he recalls the events, his decisions and his cooperation, but the legal outcomes should anchor claims about guilt, theft and sentencing.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
