Current:Home > StocksFiring of Ohtani’s interpreter highlights how sports betting is still illegal in California-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Firing of Ohtani’s interpreter highlights how sports betting is still illegal in California
View Date:2024-12-24 00:44:46
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The firing of Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter by the Los Angeles Dodgers over allegations of illegal gambling and theft has highlighted an issue many outside of California don’t realize: Sports betting is still against the law in the nation’s most populous state.
Betting on sports has exploded in the United States since the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for states to legalize it. Thirty-eight states now allow betting on sports, and ads promoting bookmakers DraftKings and FanDuel are seemingly everywhere.
Sportsbooks salivate at the thought of gaining access to California’s 39 million residents, but the industry’s efforts thus far have failed.
Two rival proposals were brought before voters in 2022 and tanked badly. One that was largely backed by gaming companies would have allowed adults to wager on mobile devices and online. The other would have legalized sports gambling at tribal casinos and horse tracks.
The rival campaigns became the most expensive ballot proposition fight in U.S. history, with both sides hoping to break into what was then estimated to be a potential billion dollar market.
Another attempt stalled earlier this year without ever making it to the ballot.
In California, gambling is permitted on horse races, at Indian casinos, in card rooms and on the state lottery.
The politics involved are tricky. Wealthy Native American tribes that operate the state’s largest traditional gambling operations generally view bookmakers and other outside gambling interests as a threat to tribal sovereignty.
It has also been a challenge selling the idea to voters, many of whom are cynical about the industry’s something-for-nothing promises.
In the 2022 election, advertising made sweeping claims about how new gambling revenue could be used, from helping the homeless to providing financial security to poorer tribes that haven’t seen a windfall from casino gambling.
At the time, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office determined that the two proposals would increase state revenues, though it was unclear by how much.
Ohtani’s interpreter and close friend, Ippei Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN that he owed millions of dollars to an illegal bookmaker.
Mizuhara has not been charged with any crimes and it’s unclear if his alleged relationship with the bookmaker broke California law.
In an interview Tuesday with ESPN, Mizuhara said he gambled on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football, but that he never bet on baseball, which MLB forbids team employees from doing. He added that Ohtani, the sport’s highest-paid player, paid his gambling debts at his request.
Mizuhara changed his story a day later, following a statement from Ohtani’s lawyers saying the player was a victim of theft.
veryGood! (44)
Related
- Quincy Jones laid to rest at private family funeral in Los Angeles
- With ‘flat’ wedding rates, Vegas officials and chapels want more couples to say ‘I do’
- US growth likely picked up last quarter after a sluggish start to 2024, reflecting resilient economy
- Arkansas court orders state to count signatures collected by volunteers for abortion-rights measure
- 13 Skincare Gifts Under $50 That Are Actually Worth It
- Strike Chain Trading Center: Decentralized AI: application scenarios
- Where to watch men's Olympic basketball? Broadcast, streaming schedule for Paris Games
- Kehlani announces Crash concert tour: How to get tickets
- Denzel Washington teases retirement — and a role in 'Black Panther 3'
- Halle Berry poses semi-nude with her rescue cats to celebrate 20 years of 'Catwoman'
Ranking
- Rare Alo Yoga Flash Sale: Don’t Miss 60% Off Deals With Styles as Low as $5
- Fake protest set for TV shoot on NYC campus sparks real demonstration by pro-Palestinian activists
- Escalator catches fire at JFK Airport: At least 9 people injured, 4 of them hospitalized
- TNT loses NBA media rights after league rejects offer, enters deal with Amazon
- Does your dog have arthritis? A lot of them do. But treatment can be tricky
- Naval aviator becomes first woman pilot to secure air-to-air victory in combat
- Halle Berry poses semi-nude with her rescue cats to celebrate 20 years of 'Catwoman'
- Trump-friendly panel shapes Georgia’s election rules at long, often chaotic meetings
Recommendation
-
Celtics' Jaylen Brown calls Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo a 'child' over fake handshake
-
A slight temperature drop makes Tuesday the world’s second-hottest day
-
Winter Olympians will compete at these 13 venues when the Games return to Salt Lake City in 2034
-
Man shot and killed after grabbing for officer’s gun during struggle in suburban Denver, police say
-
Michigan soldier’s daughter finally took a long look at his 250 WWII letters
-
Arkansas court orders state to count signatures collected by volunteers for abortion-rights measure
-
Hawaii contractors are still big contributors to political campaigns due to loopholes in state law
-
Graphic footage shows law enforcement standing over body of Trump rally shooter