All posts tagged: gambling

Philadelphia Eagles star Isaiah Rodgers reinstated after gambling ban

Philadelphia Eagles star Isaiah Rodgers reinstated after gambling ban

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The NFL has reinstated Isaiah Rodgers, a star cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles. This marks the end of a challenging period for the player who was ousted from the league due to a gambling ban. Rodgers was suspended for a season, a significant penalty, for violating the NFL’s gambling policy and regulations for active players. Rodgers reinstated by NFL The cornerback was released by the Indiana Colts after the league made the decision to ban the player. At that time, Chris Ballard General Manager of the Colts said “We have made the following roster moves as a consequence of the determination that these players violated the league’s gambling policy.” At the same time, the Colts released defensive end Rashod Berry, taking a zero-tolerance approach to gambling breaches. Both players were found to be wagering on teammate’s props and on behalf of other individuals in states with no legal gambling laws. Sports betting is prohibited for active players across all sports in the United States, especially where individual player performances are concerned. These are called “props,” …

Zelenskyy restricts online casinos to curb troop gambling addictions – POLITICO

Zelenskyy restricts online casinos to curb troop gambling addictions – POLITICO

Published by skeptic

In 2023 the number of people on the state’s register of gambling addicts, which forbids them access to online casinos, grew from 450 to 3,700 according to the Ukraine Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries. The list likely under-represents the real figure, however, as it includes only those who voluntarily add their names or are ordered to do so by a court. Ukraine Army Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskiy will be charged with banning gambling by military personnel during the country’s current war with invading Russian troops. However, Maksym Skubenko, CEO of the VoxUkraine NGO and a junior sergeant in the 5th Separate Assault Brigade of Kyiv, now fighting near Bakhmut, told POLITICO that a ban won’t work. “The ban may even worsen the situation,” he said, highlighting that illegal casinos already exist. A better solution, he argued, would be to increase the financial literacy of military personnel. While Skubenko himself never took an interest in online casinos, he recalled that when he served in the Territorial Defense Forces in Kyiv region, several people in his …

NBA bans Toronto Raptors’ Jontay Porter after gambling probe

NBA bans Toronto Raptors’ Jontay Porter after gambling probe

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Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter (right) pulls in a rebound as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic defends in an NBA game on March 11 in Denver. On Wednesday, the NBA banned Porter after a league probe found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors and bet on games. David Zalubowski/AP hide caption toggle caption David Zalubowski/AP Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter (right) pulls in a rebound as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic defends in an NBA game on March 11 in Denver. On Wednesday, the NBA banned Porter after a league probe found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors and bet on games. David Zalubowski/AP Toronto Raptors two-way player Jontay Porter was banned for life from the NBA on Wednesday after a league probe found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors and wagered on games, even betting on the Raptors to lose. Porter is the second person to be banned by Commissioner Adam Silver for violating league rules. The other was now-former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling in 2014, shortly after Silver …

Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter charged in gambling scandal

Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter charged in gambling scandal

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Federal prosecutors have charged Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Shohei Ohtani, with stealing more than $16 million from the Dodgers superstar to pay debts with an alleged illegal bookmaker, as part of a sprawling scheme that stretched over two years and involved illicit wagers of more than 10 times that amount. The 36-page criminal complaint alleges that Mizuhara arranged wire transfers from Ohtani’s bank account without his knowledge or permission and repeatedly impersonated the ballplayer during phone calls with bank employees, all to feed a worsening gambling habit that accumulated $40 million in losses across thousands of bets. In language that echoes dialogue from a gangster film in places, the complaint details how Mizuhara allegedly collected some $142 million in winnings but lost about $183 million. The complaint was unveiled Thursday at a news conference in downtown Los Angeles, where U.S. Atty. for the Central District of California E. Martin Estrada announced that Mizuhara was being charged with bank fraud, which could lead to a sentence of up to 30 years in prison if …

Video game firms found to have broken own UK industry rules on loot boxes | Gambling

Video game firms found to have broken own UK industry rules on loot boxes | Gambling

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The UK government’s decision to let technology companies self-regulate gambling-style loot boxes in video games has been called into question, after some of the developers put in charge of new industry guidelines broke their own rules. In the past six months, the advertising regulator has upheld complaints against three companies involved in drawing up industry rules, including the leading developer Electronic Arts (EA), for failing to disclose that their games contained loot boxes. An expert who submitted the complaints said he had found hundreds more examples of breaches but had only taken a handful to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in order to highlight the problem. Loot boxes are in-game features that allow players to pay, with real money or virtual currency, to open a digital envelope containing random prizes, such as an outfit or a weapon for a character. Despite warnings from experts that loot boxes carry similar risks to gambling, the then Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said in July 2022 it would not follow other countries, such as Belgium, in …

Shohei Ohtani and the Future of Sports Gambling

Shohei Ohtani and the Future of Sports Gambling

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This week, the pro baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani addressed the media for the first time since his name surfaced in an investigation of an alleged illegal gambling ring. He told reporters that the $4.5 million in wire transfers from his account had been sent without his knowledge by his friend and interpreter, and that he had “never bet on baseball or any other sports.” Opening Day is this week, and Major League Baseball can’t be happy about this cloud over its biggest star. But with gambling so deeply embedded in mainstream sports culture, and most sports leagues now in partnership with gambling operations, these kinds of scandals have become far more common. The same day as Ohtani’s press conference, news broke that the NBA was investigating a player for possible betting irregularities. Up until this point, the most controversial thing Ohtani had done was make a surprise announcement on Instagram that he had gotten married, which happened a few months after he signed a whopping $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now his …

MLB opens probe into gambling allegations against Shohei Ohtani interpreter

MLB opens probe into gambling allegations against Shohei Ohtani interpreter

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Major League Baseball has commenced a probe into allegations of theft and illegal gambling involving Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star player Shohei Ohtani. There has been no suggestion of any gambling activity from Ohtani, but the Japanese pitcher has become embroiled in this controversy due to his close relationship with his interpreter. The duo have been close friends since the 29-year-old moved to the US to play for the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. Since then, ‘Shotime’ signed for the Dodgers in a $700 million, 10-year deal, in December last year. He made his debut for the Dodgers in the recent victory against the San Diego Padres in South Korea, as part of MLB’s Seoul Series, one of the four international stops the league is embarking on throughout the season. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei (Mizuhara) from the news media,” said a statement from the league commissioner’s office on Friday. “Earlier today, our Department of Investigations began their …

Shohei Ohtani to address media for the first time since gambling and theft allegations against his interpreter

Shohei Ohtani to address media for the first time since gambling and theft allegations against his interpreter

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Shohei Ohtani plans to speak to the media Monday for the first time since the illegal gambling and theft allegations involving the Los Angeles Dodgers star and his interpreter emerged during the team’s trip to South Korea. The interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired by the Dodgers last week when the team opened the season with two games against the San Diego Padres in Seoul. Manager Dave Roberts endorsed Ohtani addressing the matter publicly. He said it was the two-way superstar’s decision to do so. “It’s the right thing to do,” Roberts said. “I’m happy he’s going to speak and speak to what he knows and give his thoughts on the whole situation. I think it will give us all a little bit more clarity.” Mizuhara was let go from the team following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and claims from Ohtani’s attorneys that the Japanese star had been the victim of a “massive theft.” Major League Baseball has opened an investigation of the matter. The Internal …

MLB opens investigation after allegations that Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter was involved in gambling scandal

MLB opens investigation after allegations that Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter was involved in gambling scandal

Published by skeptic

“The Dodgers are aware of media reports and are gathering information. The team can confirm that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has been terminated. The team has no further comment at this time,” a statement from the team released early Thursday said. The scandal was first reported Wednesday by The Los Angeles Times and ESPN. According to ESPN, the interpreter’s firing came after questions from the media about his alleged ties to illegal gambling. The allegations against Mizuhara centered specifically on wire transfers from Ohtani’s account — totaling at least $4.5 million, made in at least nine payments of $500,000 — to a bookmaking operation in Southern California that is currently under federal investigation and which was allegedly run by Matthew Bowyer of Orange County, California, a person familiar with Ohtani and Mizuhara’s interactions told NBC News. Those wire transfers were sent from Ohtani’s account to an associate of Bowyer’s, the person said. At first, the person said Mizuhara told Ohtani’s personal team that he had been gambling and racked up a large amount of debt, prompting him to ask …

Shohei Ohtani’s attorneys accuse interpreter of ‘massive theft’ tied to alleged gambling

Shohei Ohtani’s attorneys accuse interpreter of ‘massive theft’ tied to alleged gambling

Published by skeptic

Representatives of Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday accused his interpreter of engaging in a “massive theft” of the ballplayer’s funds to place bets with an allegedly illegal bookmaker who is the target of a federal investigation. Lawyers for Ohtani made that claim after The Times learned that Ohtani’s name had surfaced in the investigation of Mathew Bowyer, an Orange County resident. Ohtani’s representatives looked into the actions of the interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, in response to The Times’ queries, a source close to the matter said. Two sources told the newspaper that the money involved was in the millions of dollars. In a statement, the West Hollywood law firm Berk Brettler said, “In the course of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft and we are turning the matter over to the authorities.” Attempts to reach Mizuhara were unsuccessful. It is unclear whether he hired an attorney. Mizuhara placed bets with Bowyer, according to the sources, who requested anonymity to share sensitive information. The Dodgers …