April 12, 2024

April 12, 2024

Ex-Ohtani interpreter Mizuhara out on bond in illegal wagering case

Ippei Mizuhara, the Japanese-language interpreter who formerly worked closely with Los Angeles Angels and Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and is accused of stealing $16m to cover gambling debt, appeared in federal court on Friday (12 April) and was released on $25,000 bond.

According to a tweet from The Athletic’s Sam Blum, Mizuhara was shackled entering court.

The interpreter is being charged with federal bank fraud, which carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison. His arraignment in the illegal wagering case is scheduled for 9 May.

Late on Thursday (11 April) Mizuhara turned himself into federal authorities, according to the US Attorney’s office. According to an affidavit filed on Thursday, Mizuhara stole from Ohtani to pay off debts he incurred betting with an illegal bookmaker in Orange County, California. Sports betting is illegal in California.

During the two-year ordeal, Mizuhara bet hundreds of millions of dollars. He also systematically transferred access to Ohtani’s acc..

April 12, 2024

State of the Union: A look at the week that was in North America

Welcome to iGB's State of the Union, a look at the biggest North American sports betting stories we've covered over the week and briefs on others we found interesting.

Bally Bet aiming for June Massachusetts launch

Saying “our commitment is strong here”, on Thursday (11 April) representatives from Bally Bet told the Massachusetts Gaming Commission that it is aiming for a late June launch in the Bay State. Bally’s had previously promised a “late Q2” launch, but hadn’t put a date on it. The company has had a temporary sports betting licence in the state since early 2023. When Bally Bet launches it will bring the total number of digital platforms available in Massachusetts to seven after Betr and WynnBet exited the state earlier this year.

“Having someone that we’ve started with the licensing process, a group come in and actually get going, is exciting to us,” interim MGC chair Jordan Maynard said during the meeting.

SCOTUS grants extension in Florida sports betting case

T..

April 12, 2024

ASA reiterates ad guidelines ahead of Euro 2024 and warns against targeting minors

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has warned operators against targeting minors with advertising ahead of the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament.

Euro 2024 gets underway on 14 June, with sports betting activity likely to skyrocket during the tournament in Germany. Ahead of the event, the ASA has reiterated to operators their guidelines on what will be prohibited in their advertising.

The ASA highlighted the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code). The CAP Code stipulates that gambling operators must not feature anybody under the age of 25 in their advertising, including footballers. However, there is an exception for websites where bets can be placed directly.

The ASA also warned that ads mustn’t involve any player deemed to have a strong appeal to those under 18.

ASA reiterates other guidelines

The ASA has cautioned that operators shouldn’t mislead audiences by implying official endorsement from players and teams. The ASA did also sta..

April 12, 2024

Charting Nigeria’s online gambling growth amid regulatory battles

One of the most exciting emerging global online gambling markets is Nigeria, boasting a youthful population that H2 Gambling Capital forecasts to lead it to gross gaming revenue (GGR) of €675.1m (£576.8m/$717.2m) by 2025. With a legal battle over regulation ongoing, though, how exactly is it achieving its success?

Firstly, it’s imperative to note the demographics of Nigeria, which is the most populous country in Africa with well over 200 million inhabitants. According to a report from The Economist, that population is predicted to grow to 400 million by 2050, surpassing the US as the third most-populous country on the planet.

Looking closer at Nigeria’s data reveals a hugely youthful population, with figures from the World Factbook outlining that approximately 41% of people in the country are aged between 14 and under, with the average age of a person in Nigeria just 19 years old.

Taking those demographics aspects into account it’s clear to see why there is excitement over how Niger..

April 12, 2024

Denmark helpline StopSpillet receives nearly 3,000 calls in first five years

StopSpillet, the specialist gambling helpline run by Denmark regulator Spillemyndigheden, has received almost 3,000 calls since its inception in 2019.

StopSpillet was introduced on 1 January 2019, providing advice and guidance to those in Denmark who are concerned over their gambling habits.

A new report revealed that since its launch, StopSpillet has received 2,933 inquiries, with figures suggesting that a large percentage of those callers have a problematic relationship with gambling. Players calling for themselves were responsible for just over 1,650 inquiries, accounting for 56% of the total.

Additionally, 1,150 inquiries, or 40% of the total inquiries, came from relatives of players. In around half of those calls, it was a parent getting in contact with StopSpillet. Meanwhile, 4% of calls came from professionals.

On the ongoing development of StopSpillet, the report read: “The Gambling Authority works continuously to spread awareness of StopSpillet, for example through campaig..

April 12, 2024

ITIA bans Spanish tennis player for 15 years over corruption

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has banned Spanish player Aaron Cortes for 15 years after he was found guilty of a series of corruption charges.

Cortes admitted to 35 breaches of the ITIA Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP). Charges relate to activity between 2016 and 2018.

Breaches include contriving the outcome of events, accepting money to impact outcomes of events and failing to report corrupt approaches. The ITIA also said Cortes wagered on tennis and provided money to tournament officials in exchange for a wild card.

The 29-year-old, who had a career-high world singles ranking of 955 in September 2017, co-operated fully with the ITIA investigation. He also accepted an agreed sanction and waived the right to a hearing before an independent anti-corruption hearing officer.

As a result, Cortes will be banned from 27 March 2024 until 26 March 2039. He has also been ordered to pay a $75,000 (£59,823/€70,039) fine, with $56,250 of this suspended.

During the b..

April 12, 2024

Kansas sports wagers reach $252.9m in March

Players in Kansas wagered a total of $252.9m (£201.8m/€236.3m) on sports during March, just shy of the Sunflower State’s monthly record.

Handle was 28.4% higher than $197.0m in March last year and 24.6% ahead of February this year. It was also just 3.1% lower than the Kansas record of $260.9m in November 2022.

Of this total, $243.2m was bet online, while $9.7m was wagered at retail sportsbooks across the state.

In terms of revenue, this amounted to $7.1m in March. The figure was 22.0% lower than the $9.1m generated last year but 129.0% ahead of February’s $3.1m haul.

All revenue in March came from online betting, with retail failing to generate any revenue for operators. It was also noted that the state collected $714,697 in sports betting tax during the month.

DraftKings and Boot Hill retain the lead in Kansas

Having taken the lead in February, DraftKings and partner Boot Hill remained out in front in the Kansas online market. During March, the partnership generated $4.7m in re..

April 12, 2024

Feds say Ohtani “considered a victim” and interpreter stole $16m from star for gambling debts

In an affidavit filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California on Thursday (11 April), IRS criminal investigator Chris Seymour revealed that baseball star Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara fraudulently transferred $16m from the baseball player's account to an illegal bookmaker over the span of 26 months.

According to the affidavit, Mizuhara texted the bookmaker, “Technically I did steal from him. It’s all over for me,” on the day the story first broke.

According to the New York Times, Mizuhara is negotiating for a plea deal.

Throughout the affidavit, Ohtani is referred to as “Victim A” and, in a press conference, US Attorney Martin Estrada said “Mr Ohtani is considered a victim in this case.” Major League Baseball released a statement saying that it “will wait until resolution of the criminal proceeding to determine whether further investigation is warranted”.

Since the story broke 20 March, Ohtani, the two-way Japanese baseball sta..

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