Bookmaker in Ohtani Gambling Scandal Sentenced to One Year in Prison

Mathew Bowyer, a Southern California bookmaker who accepted thousands of sports bets from Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, was sentenced on Friday to just over a year in prison after extensively cooperating with authorities.

Bowyer Sentenced to Prison Time for Involvement in Ohtani Case

The case involving Bowyer, a father of five from San Juan Capistrano, California, is part of a wider federal investigation into illegal sports gambling, which also resulted in the arrest of Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s former Japanese language interpreter. Mizuhara is now serving a sentence of nearly five years for bank and tax fraud after embezzling close to $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers star.

Federal prosecutors wanted a short prison sentence for Bowyer, citing his role in a scheme that generated hundreds of millions of dollars in bets and brought in thousands of dollars daily. They noted that while Bowyer could have received a longer sentence, his substantial cooperation with their investigations warranted leniency.

US District Judge John W. Holcomb acknowledged being impressed by Bowyer’s recent efforts to help gambling addicts and the strong support from his family and friends, over a dozen of whom were present in the courtroom on Friday. However, he stated that some prison time was warranted due to the seriousness of the tax offense. Holcomb also ordered Bowyer to undergo gambling addiction counseling. Prior to sentencing, Bowyer had paid $1.6 million in restitution.

The sentence is significantly shorter than the three years recommended by probation officials, according to Bowyer’s attorney, Diane Bass. She attributed the lighter sentence to her client’s cooperation with investigators, his voluntary payment of restitution before it was mandated, public admission of guilt, and efforts to support others struggling with addiction.

Bass urged Judge Holcomb to impose a sentence of home confinement, arguing that Bowyer’s offense harmed no one other than the government and emphasizing that he is in recovery from a gambling addiction. She maintained that Bowyer was unaware Mizuhara was stealing from Ohtani to cover his gambling debts and expressed concern that intense media attention on the case could unfairly impact her client.

What Led to Boyer Being Sentenced

Bowyer said his gambling began in his teenage years with poker and video game bets before escalating beyond his control. According to authorities, he went on to operate an illegal gambling operation across Southern California and Las Vegas, taking wagers from over 700 clients, including Mizuhara. Mizuhara reportedly won more than $142 million, all of which was deposited into his personal bank account rather than Ohtani’s. However, he also racked up approximately $183 million in losses, resulting in a net loss of nearly $41 million.

Running an unlicensed betting operation is a federal offense. While most states and Washington, D.C. permit some form of sports gambling, it remains illegal in California. Bowyer expressed regret that Shohei Ohtani’s name became entangled in the case and said he worked with prosecutors and Major League Baseball officials to help clarify the situation. He is scheduled to begin serving his sentence on October 10 and will be placed on two years of supervised release following his prison term.