Approximately two weeks have passed since a bombshell report surfaced on the connection between Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter and a Southern California bookmaker.
Following a 5-2 win over the Padres on March 20, the Dodgers fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani's interpreter, amid reports that he owed at least $4.5 million in gambling debts to the bookmaker. The Dodgers left South Korea hours after Mizuhara retracted his account on Ohtani’s knowledge of his debts. Back in Los Angeles, Ohtani vehemently denied betting on sports or making a payment on behalf of Mizuhara.
Now, more details have come to light on Matt Bowyer, the bookmaker in question. A prominent figure in Las Vegas sports betting circles, Bowyer is recognizable to almost anyone immersed in the scene, according to a source who spoke with on the condition of anonymity.
While the “whale player” has been reputed for making frequent six-figure wagers on sports, Bowyer is a much larger gambler than previous reports suggest, another source told last week. Bowyer, according to the source, might be one of the largest, if not the largest sports bettors in the country.