Mathew Bowyer
| Mathew Bowyer | |
|---|---|
| Born: | c. 1974 Orange County, California |
| Charges: | |
| Sentence: | 12 months and 1 day in federal prison, $1,613,280 restitution |
| Facility: | FCI Lompoc |
| Status: | Currently incarcerated (since October 2025) |
Mathew R. Bowyer is an American illegal bookmaker who operated one of the largest unlicensed sports betting operations in Southern California.[1] His case gained national and international attention due to his connection to the Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal—one of his clients was Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani, who stole nearly $17 million from the baseball player to cover gambling debts owed to Bowyer.[2] The case also exposed significant anti-money laundering failures at multiple Las Vegas casinos, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in regulatory fines.[3]
Background
Mathew Bowyer, approximately 50 years old, resided in San Juan Capistrano in Orange County, California. For at least five years, he operated an illegal bookmaking business that focused on sports betting, violating California laws prohibiting unlicensed gambling operations. The business operated through servers located in Costa Rica and utilized betting websites to facilitate wagers.[1]
At its peak, Bowyer's operation had more than 700 active bettors as clients, including current and former professional athletes from various sports leagues.[4]
The Gambling Operation
How It Worked
Bowyer's illegal gambling business primarily used a website called AnyActionSports.com, which was operated through servers in Costa Rica to evade U.S. gambling laws. Clients would set up accounts and place bets on sporting events through the platform. Bowyer would collect losses and pay out winnings, operating outside the regulated sports betting industry.[4]
The operation was substantial in scale, with betting activity generating millions of dollars annually. Bowyer targeted high-net-worth individuals who could sustain significant gambling losses.
Meeting Ippei Mizuhara
In 2021, Bowyer's life intersected with one of the most significant sports scandals in recent memory. During a poker game in San Diego, Bowyer and an associate met Ippei Mizuhara, who at the time was the Japanese-language interpreter and close confidant of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.[4]
During the poker game, Mizuhara was observed obsessively placing sports bets on his phone between hands. Shortly after, Bowyer set up Mizuhara with an account on his illegal betting platform.
Connection to the Ohtani Scandal
The Scope of Mizuhara's Gambling
What began as a connection at a poker table evolved into one of the largest sports betting scandals in American sports history. Between December 2021 and January 2024, Ippei Mizuhara placed at least 19,000 bets through Bowyer's illegal gambling operation.[5]
The scale of Mizuhara's gambling was staggering:
- Total winning bets: approximately $142,256,769
- Total losing bets: approximately $182,935,206
- Net losses: approximately $40,678,436[5]
To cover these massive gambling debts, Mizuhara stole nearly $17 million from Shohei Ohtani's bank accounts without the baseball star's knowledge. Mizuhara had access to Ohtani's finances as his trusted interpreter and de facto manager.[2]
No Evidence of Baseball Betting
Federal investigators found no evidence that Mizuhara had wagered on baseball games. Prosecutors also confirmed that there was no evidence Shohei Ohtani was involved in or aware of Mizuhara's gambling activities. Ohtani cooperated fully with investigators and is considered a victim in the case.[5]
Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank fraud and filing a false tax return and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison.[6]
Money Laundering Through Las Vegas Casinos
Casino Gambling
Bowyer laundered significant proceeds from his illegal gambling business through several Las Vegas casinos. According to investigators, Bowyer gambled away approximately $13 million at Resorts World Las Vegas alone over a nearly two-year period—most of which came from Ohtani's stolen money that had been funneled through Mizuhara's gambling debts.[3]
Casino Compliance Failures
Bowyer's activities exposed serious anti-money laundering (AML) compliance failures at multiple Las Vegas casinos. The Nevada Gaming Control Board investigation revealed that casinos had welcomed Bowyer and his associates despite knowing or having reason to know that they were connected to illegal bookmaking operations.[3]
The regulatory fallout was significant:
- Resorts World Las Vegas: Fined $10.5 million by Nevada gaming regulators—the second-largest fine ever handed down by the state's gaming commission. Regulators stated that "the culture within Resorts World created the perception, or the reality in certain instances, that Resorts World is an avenue to launder funds driven from illegal activity."[3]
- MGM Resorts: Fined for AML compliance failures related to Bowyer's gambling activities.
- Caesars Entertainment: Reached a $7.8 million settlement in November 2025 for AML violations connected to the case.[7]
The combined regulatory fines approached $27 million, making this one of the most significant casino compliance failures related to a single individual in Nevada gaming history.
Tax Fraud
In addition to the illegal gambling and money laundering charges, Bowyer was charged with tax fraud. On his 2022 federal tax return, he reported total income of just $607,897. However, his actual unreported income from his illegal gambling business was $4,030,938—meaning he failed to report more than $4 million in income to the IRS.[1]
Federal Charges and Plea
In August 2024, Bowyer pleaded guilty to three federal charges:
- One count of operating an unlawful gambling business
- One count of money laundering
- One count of subscribing to a false tax return[1]
Sentencing
On October 2025, United States District Judge John W. Holcomb sentenced Bowyer to:
- 12 months and 1 day in federal prison
- 2 years of supervised release
- $1,613,280 in restitution[1]
The sentence was considered lenient by some observers given the scale of the illegal operation and its connection to the high-profile Ohtani scandal. However, prosecutors noted Bowyer's cooperation with the investigation.
Incarceration
Bowyer began serving his sentence on October 10, 2025, at Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc, a low-security federal correctional institution located in Lompoc, California.[1]
Impact and Legacy
The Bowyer case had far-reaching consequences beyond his own prosecution:
- It resulted in the imprisonment of Ippei Mizuhara for nearly five years
- It led to tens of millions of dollars in regulatory fines against major Las Vegas casinos
- It prompted increased scrutiny of casino anti-money laundering practices
- It generated international attention due to Shohei Ohtani's status as one of baseball's biggest stars[2]
The case also highlighted the ongoing challenge of illegal sports betting operations in the United States, even as legal sports gambling has expanded rapidly following the Supreme Court's 2018 decision striking down the federal ban on sports betting.
Media Coverage
Bowyer gave an interview to Rolling Stone magazine before beginning his prison sentence, providing insight into his relationship with Mizuhara and how the gambling scheme operated. In the interview, he discussed meeting Mizuhara at the poker game, setting him up with a betting account, and watching the debts accumulate over time.[4]
The case was covered extensively by sports media outlets due to the Ohtani connection, as well as by gambling industry publications concerned about the regulatory implications for casinos. The story also attracted significant attention in Japan, where Ohtani is a national celebrity.[2]
See Also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Former Illegal Bookie Sentenced to a Year in Prison for Unlawful Gambling Business and Money Laundering Scheme that Received Funds Stolen from Shohei Ohtani". United States Department of Justice. Retrieved {{{access-date}}}.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Shohei Ohtani's interpreter Ippei Mizuhara fired amid theft allegations". ESPN. Retrieved {{{access-date}}}.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Resorts World fined $10.5M by Nevada Gaming Commission for AML failures". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved {{{access-date}}}.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Inside the Shohei Ohtani Gambling Scandal: The Bookie Speaks". Rolling Stone. Retrieved {{{access-date}}}.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter pleads guilty to stealing nearly $17 million from baseball star". Associated Press. Retrieved {{{access-date}}}.
- ↑ "Former Ohtani interpreter Ippei Mizuhara sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved {{{access-date}}}.
- ↑ "Caesars Entertainment Settles Money Laundering Probe Connected to Ohtani Scandal". Casino.org. Retrieved {{{access-date}}}.