In a shocking turn of events, former New York radio host Craig Carton has suggested that gambling addiction may have led to Ippei Mizuhara’s alleged massive betting scheme slipping by Shohei Ohtani. Mizuhara, who served as Ohtani’s interpreter, reportedly lost over $40 million through sports betting over a 26-month span.
Carton, a self-proclaimed expert on gambling addiction, stated that compulsive gamblers are often world-class liars and hiders. He believes that Mizuhara’s addiction may have driven him to steal over $16 million from Ohtani in a desperate attempt to cover his gambling debts. Mizuhara allegedly placed about 19,000 bets, averaging roughly $12,800 per wager, with amounts ranging from $10 to $160,000.
After being charged with felony bank fraud, Mizuhara turned himself in to authorities and was released on a $25,000 bond. His court appearance is scheduled for May 9. Surprisingly, investigators found no evidence that Mizuhara had bet on baseball, a fact that Carton found to be unexpected.
Carton expressed concern for Mizuhara’s well-being, noting the high rate of suicide amongst gambling addicts. He suggested monitoring Mizuhara closely in the coming weeks. Dodo Finance will continue to follow this story as more details emerge about Mizuhara’s alleged gambling scheme and the impact it has had on Ohtani and those around him.