Betting Busts! Top 5 Sports Gambling Scandal Investigations of 2023-24
Sportsgrid Staff
Host · Writer
Iowa and Iowa State Sports Gambling Sting
Hunter Dekkers, Iowa State's quarterback, along with two of his teammates and two athletes from Iowa, admitted to participating in underage gambling, involving five athletes in total last year. The group includes Iowa State offensive lineman Dodge Sauser, lineman Jacob Remsburg, and from Iowa, ex-kicker Aaron Blom and former baseball player Gehrig Christensen. They were part of a broader investigation that led to charges against over a dozen athletes from both universities for illegal sports betting.
Initially charged with record tampering—a serious offense—they confessed to using mobile betting accounts registered under others' names. Dekkers, Sauser, and Blom were accused of betting on their own teams' matches, despite not playing in those games.
Shohei Ohtani's Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara Fired
Ippei Mizuhara well-known as the interpreter and confidant of Shohei Ohtani, has been dismissed by the Los Angeles Dodgers amidst serious accusations of engaging in illegal gambling activities and embezzling funds from the celebrated Japanese baseball figure.
The allegations, highlighted by the Los Angeles Times and ESPN, prompted his termination on Wednesday, coinciding with Ohtani's inaugural week with the Dodgers in Seoul, South Korea. Mizuhara, who has been a fixture in baseball circles and by Ohtani's side since 2017, faced scrutiny for purported connections to illicit betting operations.
Despite his claims of solely gambling on sports other than baseball, MLB's strict anti-betting regulations cover all team personnel, prohibiting wagers on any sports through unlawful channels.
The Dodgers have begun an inquiry following the media's spotlight, leading to Mizuhara's immediate firing. Moreover, revelations of a significant financial theft from Ohtani have emerged, with the athlete's legal team forwarding the case to authorities. Mizuhara, having accrued debts exceeding $1 million by the end of 2022 due to gambling losses, admitted his dire financial situation and the consequential strain on his relationship with Ohtani, significantly marking this event as baseball's most notable betting controversy since Pete Rose's 1989 ban.
Ottawa Senators Shane Pinto Makes Hockey History
Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto returned from a historic 41-game suspension for gambling in late January. Pinto, notable for being the first in the league's modern era to face such a penalty, was sidelined half the season after violating the NHL's gambling policies in October. Specific details about the infraction remain undisclosed and all the league would say is Pinto did not bet on hockey. His case follows a hiatus in gambling-related suspensions since the 1940s.
Pinto's situation underscores the heightened scrutiny on athletes amid the growing presence of sports betting, exemplified by the Senators' sponsorship deals with gambling entities.
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Soccer Stars Suspended
This season, the soccer world has seen Brentford's Ivan Toney, Newcastle's Sandro Tonali, and Juventus's Nicolo Fagioli all facing suspensions due to gambling violations.
Fagioli received a seven-month ban from the Italian soccer federation for his involvement in betting activities. Meanwhile, Italian soccer player Tonali faced a 10-month suspension last year after being found guilty of placing bets on matches involving his own teams.
These incidents underscore the strict stance that soccer authorities are taking on gambling within the sport, highlighting a growing concern over the integrity of the game.
Alabama Baseball Coach Canned
Brad Bohannon was dismissed as Alabama's baseball coach last May due to allegations of his involvement in suspicious betting activities concerning his team. This decision was made without public explanation beyond a breach of expected university employee standards, following Bohannon's five-year tenure. The move was precipitated by a warning about dubious betting patterns, leading Ohio to prohibit bets on Alabama baseball games, a measure soon adopted by Pennsylvania and New Jersey sportsbooks.
Investigations intensified after ESPN revealed surveillance footage linking Bohannon to the bets placed at a sportsbook in the Cincinnati Reds' stadium.
This incident emerges amidst broader sports betting legalization across the majority of US states, raising concerns about the integrity of college sports. The NCAA has reiterated its commitment to safeguarding sports ethics, especially as suspicious betting reports surrounded an Alabama-LSU game came to light, underlining the gravity of maintaining competition integrity.
Iowa and Iowa State Sports Gambling Sting
Hunter Dekkers, Iowa State's quarterback, along with two of his teammates and two athletes from Iowa, admitted to participating in underage gambling, involving five athletes in total last year. The group includes Iowa State offensive lineman Dodge Sauser, lineman Jacob Remsburg, and from Iowa, ex-kicker Aaron Blom and former baseball player Gehrig Christensen. They were part of a broader investigation that led to charges against over a dozen athletes from both universities for illegal sports betting.
Initially charged with record tampering—a serious offense—they confessed to using mobile betting accounts registered under others' names. Dekkers, Sauser, and Blom were accused of betting on their own teams' matches, despite not playing in those games.
Shohei Ohtani's Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara Fired
Ippei Mizuhara well-known as the interpreter and confidant of Shohei Ohtani, has been dismissed by the Los Angeles Dodgers amidst serious accusations of engaging in illegal gambling activities and embezzling funds from the celebrated Japanese baseball figure.
The allegations, highlighted by the Los Angeles Times and ESPN, prompted his termination on Wednesday, coinciding with Ohtani's inaugural week with the Dodgers in Seoul, South Korea. Mizuhara, who has been a fixture in baseball circles and by Ohtani's side since 2017, faced scrutiny for purported connections to illicit betting operations.
Despite his claims of solely gambling on sports other than baseball, MLB's strict anti-betting regulations cover all team personnel, prohibiting wagers on any sports through unlawful channels.
The Dodgers have begun an inquiry following the media's spotlight, leading to Mizuhara's immediate firing. Moreover, revelations of a significant financial theft from Ohtani have emerged, with the athlete's legal team forwarding the case to authorities. Mizuhara, having accrued debts exceeding $1 million by the end of 2022 due to gambling losses, admitted his dire financial situation and the consequential strain on his relationship with Ohtani, significantly marking this event as baseball's most notable betting controversy since Pete Rose's 1989 ban.
