Report: Bookie in Ohtani Case Is One of America’s Most Prolific Gamblers

The alleged bookmaker in the case involving Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and his former best friend Ippei Mizuhara is one of the country's most prolific gamblers, a report from Sports Handle said on Wednesday.

The outlet reported that Mathew Bowyer made frequent six-figure wagers on sports and blackjack and was a much larger gambler than previous reports had suggested.

"Bowyer, according to the source, might be one of the largest, if not the largest sports bettors in the country," Sports Handle reported.

A separate source told the outlet that he had seen Bowyer lose more than $1 million in a night. The source has known Bowyer for at least five years.

Bowyer also had a tendency to bet between $50,000 and $100,000 on a single hand of blackjack. He also dabbled in baccarat and craps.

Federal investigators raided Bowyer's home in October with a search warrant, taking his electronic devices amid an investigation into running an illegal bookmaking operation out of Southern California.

Then, a few months later, Ohtani was embroiled in the scandal after about $4.5 million was sent from a bank account under his name to the illegal bookmaking operation.

Ohtani has denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of the payments. Mizuhara has since taken responsibility for unilaterally sending the payments to Bowyer for sports betting losses.

Ohtani has also since accused his former confidant and interpreter of stealing the money from his personal accounts.

Mizuhara had met Bowyer at a poker game in 2022 and amassed the losses betting on sports other than baseball. The MLB and federal authorities continue their investigations into the alleged theft. Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers in March.