As Astros fan Saul Malek read
the criminal complaint
alleging interpreter Ippei Mizuhara stole more than $16 million from Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani to pay his gambling debts, Malek was less stunned by the enormity of Mizuhara’s sports betting habit than by how familiar his behavior felt.
Malek, 26, is a recovering gambling addict. The rush he first chased with fantasy sports became problematic in college when he was connected with a bookie. Malek put $10 on the Royals to beat the Blue Jays. The Royals won, 15-5. Easy money. Malek won a $20 bet that weekend, underdog Bears over Steelers in overtime. Soon Malek started betting bigger — $50, then $100 — and losing. The wary voice in his head was drowned out by a more confident one claiming a big win was around the corner.
“Even if I were down thousands of dollars,” Malek said, “each game felt like the start of a new streak for me of getting back positive.”
That sort of sentiment is found throughout the 37-page criminal complaint against Mizuhara, who
is charged with felony bank fraud
and has been court-ordered to attend a program to treat gambling addiction. While the sums in Mizuhara’s case may be remarkable — nearly 25 bets per day, averaging $12,800, and a net loss of $40 million over two years — the behaviors exhibited are unfortunately universal, according to several problem gambling experts.
“I’d like to say it’s uncommon, but I’d be lying,” said Lia Nower, director of the Center for Gambling Studies at Rutgers University, “It’s becoming more and more common, actually.”
Nower, like the other experts interviewed, spoke generally about gambling trends because she is not involved in Mizuhara’s treatment. While the last national survey regarding the prevalence of problem gambling was released in 1999 (“At that point, we’re looking at riverboat casino and lottery,” Nower said),
a Rutgers study
conducted in 2021 found a prevalence rate of high-risk problem gambling of about 6 percent.
The gambling environment has changed drastically since a 2018 Supreme Court ruling struck down a federal law prohibiting sports gambling in most states. Sports betting is now legal in 38 states. It’s often just a click away, with more options than ever to bet on with in-game wagering. The commercial gaming industry is
setting revenue records
year after year.
Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, which commissioned three surveys on gambling attitudes and experiences, said the risk of problem gambling has risen significantly since 2018.
“We think both the rate and severity of gambling problems are increasing in the United States,” Whyte said, adding, “That increase is mainly due to the massive growth of online sports betting.”
It’s unclear what betting experience Mizuhara had prior to meeting bookie Mathew Bowyer, but one of the more jarring parts of the Mizuhara criminal complaint is how quickly he started losing substantial sums. About a month after first using the illegal sports book, Mizuhara requested to pay his losses in smaller denominations — $15,000 on consecutive days — due to wiring restrictions. Two weeks later, he allegedly impersonated Ohtani to bank employees and sent his first payment, for $40,010, from Ohtani’s account.
Experts refer to the phenomenon of a new gambler almost immediately getting in over their heads as “telescoping,” and young men betting online are believed to be especially vulnerable.
“They’re playing in a lot more high-risk ways, with little experience,” Whyte said, “and there’s that telescoping effect where they seem to be going from initiation to problems in a very, very rapid timeframe.”
Within a few months of his first $10 bet, Malek had a conversation with his parents, who’d noticed the bank transfers leaving his account. They talked about the risks of sports betting, and Malek stopped for a bit — mostly because he’d run out of money to pay bookies. Then, one week, he realized his credit line with a bookie had reloaded despite not making a payment. He saw that as his chance to win it all back. He lost it all instead. That was Malek’s introduction to playing on credit. He started betting money he didn’t have. When Malek ran out of credit with one bookie, he’d block their phone number and find another bookie, hoping he’d win enough to pay back the previous bookie. When he ran out of bookies, he made a dating profile with photos of a woman he knew and used it to ask would-be suitors if they knew any bookies.
“It sped up pretty quickly,” he said.
Compulsive bettors often operate under the illusion of control, thinking that in sports betting, compared to a game of chance like slot machines, their expertise will give them an upper hand. Nower said problem gamblers, some of whom will have pre-existing vulnerabilities, will confront operant conditioning — the interval ratio reinforcement schedule tells them a win is coming, but they don’t know when — and develop …
…One step they could take encourages using limit-setting tools provided by regulated bookkeepers. However, these tools are largely underutilized, with only about 4-6% of people taking advantage of them. In contrast, Mizuhara was betting with an illegal bookie that lacked such protective measures.
Experts are calling for increased federal support to address problem gambling issues. They propose the establishment of a federal regulatory agency to set standards for gambling practices and advocate for educational initiatives starting at a young age to promote responsible gambling. Protecting vulnerable individuals and public health is highlighted as a priority in light of the evolving gambling landscape.
Mizuhara appeared in federal court after being charged with felony bank fraud, facing a possible 30-year prison sentence. He surrendered to authorities, was released on bond, and was ordered to attend a gambling addiction treatment program.
Whyte’s advice to compulsive gamblers is to use limit-setting tools and share their struggles with a friend to combat feelings of shame and stigma associated with addiction. Seeking help through helplines like 1-800-GAMBLER can provide a crucial first step towards recovery.
Malek’s journey to recovery involved attending Gamblers Anonymous meetings and embracing a 12-step program to overcome his addiction. Despite ongoing debt repayment, Malek now shares his story publicly to raise awareness about gambling addiction.
(Top photo of Ohtani and Mizuhara: Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)