Nearly one year after pleading guilty to a string of federal offenses, Matt Bowyer, the illegal bookmaker at the center of the Shohei Ohtani betting saga, is headed for sentencing in late August.
Attorneys representing Bowyer reportedly agreed with the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Central District of California to move up the sentencing timeline.
Key takeaways
- Matt Bowyer’s sentencing in the Ohtani gambling case is now set for late August.
- Bowyer admitted guilt to illegal gambling, money laundering, and tax evasion in August 2023.
- An MLB commentator repeated false claims about Ohtani, despite the DOJ clearing him of all involvement.
Previously scheduled for October, prosecutors postponed the hearing twice before the new motion to expedite proceedings.
Bowyer admitted guilt in August 2023 to felony charges of operating an illegal gambling business, transactional money laundering, and tax evasion. Bowyer faced up to 18 years in prison if the case went to trial.
According to federal filings, Bowyer operated one of the U.S.' largest illegal sports betting networks, maintaining a client list that topped 700 bettors. The criminal complaint was filed just weeks after Ohtani's former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, pleaded guilty to stealing $17 million from the baseball star.
Mizuhara used much of the stolen money to repay gambling losses he owed Bowyer, though he reportedly still owes approximately $23 million, a debt unlikely to be recovered.
Earlier this year in March, the Nevada Gaming Commission imposed a $10.5 million fine on Resorts World Las Vegas to resolve a series of regulatory breaches. Resorts World didn't admit liability as part of the resolution.
Court documents from that case reveal Bowyer visited the casino approximately 80 times over 15 months, while he incurred gambling losses exceeding $7.9 million. Additionally, Bowyer's plea deal notes he arranged for the transfer of at least $9.34 million to an establishment identified as "Casino A," which ESPN widely reported as referring to Resorts World Las Vegas.
MLB announcer fuels Ohtani gambling conspiracy
Although Ohtani was fully cleared of wrongdoing in the federal investigation, former MLB manager Ozzie Guillen revived baseless claims linking the L.A. Dodgers' star to the betting scandal.
In a Spanish-language interview with Puro Beisbol, Guillen accused Ohtani of gambling and that MLB shielded him, claiming "Everyone knows that Shohei Ohtani gambled and was protected."
Guillen, who now works as a Chicago White Sox analyst, is the latest public figure to promote unfounded allegations in direct opposition to evidence federal investigators and MLB's internal review collected. The inquiry yielded thousands of text messages and recordings where Mizuhara impersonated Ohtani without his knowledge.
These documents, along with Mizuhara's guilty plea to federal bank fraud and tax offense charges, formed the foundation of the DOJ's determination that Ohtani was a victim, rather than a co-conspirator.
Still, conspiracy theories continue to thrive, fueled partly by the player's high profile and the enormous amounts of money at stake. The exact motivation behind Bowyer's agreement with federal prosecutors remains uncertain.
