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The dust finally settled on the gambling scandal tied to MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani in 2025, putting an end to a controversy that exposed the operation of an illegal sports betting operation, resulting in millions of regulatory fines and prison sentences.
A contingent of major Las Vegas casinos received a reality check in 2025, with anti-money laundering (AML) protocols and standards called into question for allowing an illegal bookmaker Matthew Bowyer, to wager at their facilities with funds used from his illicit gambling operation. The casinos failed to verify Bowyer’s source of funds and allowed wagering with the improper funds, resulting in disciplinary action by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB). The AML failures by the Las Vegas casinos may have continued had Bowyer’s illicit gambling not been exposed after his client, Ippei Mizuhara, was arrested for stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts owed to Bowyer.
Mizuhara worked for the Los Angeles Dodg..
