The firing of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter and close friend after allegations of illegal gambling and theft from the Japanese baseball player is shining renewed attention on compulsive gambling.
The team fired interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, who has been Ohtani’s constant companion since the star came to the US in 2017, on March 20 after reports about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well over US$1 million.
The law firm representing Ohtani said in a statement that he had been the victim of “massive theft.”
Photo: AP 照片：美聯社
Mizuhara told ESPN last week that Ohtani knew nothing of his illegal wagers on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football. Mizuhara said Ohtani was an innocent victim of his friend’s gambling addiction.
WHAT IS PROBLEM GAMBLING?
The National Council on Problem Gambling defines gambling addiction as “gambling behavior that is damaging to a person or their family, often disrupting their daily life and career.”
Photo: AP 照片：美聯社
Gambling addiction is a recognized mental health diagnosis, and the group says anyone who gambles can be at risk for developing a problem.
Its symptoms include thinking about gambling all the time; feeling the need to bet more money more often; going back to try to win money back, known as “chasing losses;” feeling out of control; and continuing to gamble despite negative consequences.
HOW WIDESPREAD IS IT?
Photo: AP 照片：美聯社
The council says about 2.5 million adults in the US meet the criteria of having a severe gambling problem. Another 5 million to 8 million people are considered to have mild or moderate gambling problems.
The 800-GAMBLER hotline can offer help and referrals, and Gamblers Anonymous also has resources and support for those with a gambling problem.
WHERE IS SPORTS BETTING LEGAL?
Sports betting is legal in 38 US states plus Washington, D.C., since a 2018 US Supreme Court ruling that opened the floodgates to legal wagering in a case brought by New Jersey. More than 80 percent of sports betting is done online, using phones or laptops.
On March 21, at the start of the NCAA college basketball tournament, the American Gaming Association estimated that Americans would wager US$2.72 billion with legal outlets this year on the tournament.
WHAT ARE SPORTS LEAGUES DOING ABOUT GAMBLING?
Major professional sports leagues prohibit their players from gambling, and many impose penalties including fines, suspensions and lifetime bans for violations.
The most famous of these involves baseball star Pete Rose, the sport’s all-time hits leader, who was banned for betting on games in which his team was involved.
Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement includes an annual spring training education program for players on safety and security, including issues relating to sports betting and gambling.
This comes at the same time that the leagues — who bitterly fought against legalizing sports betting beyond the four states that allowed in before 2018 — have become business partners with the biggest gambling outlets. Many teams and league have official sports betting partners and allow gambling company advertising on their premises. A few have even opened sports books at their stadiums.
IS BETTING LEGAL IN CALIFORNIA OR JAPAN?
Sports betting is not legal in California, despite several attempts to have voters legalize it. In Japan, most forms of gambling are prohibited, although it is allowed on horse racing, motor sports and public races involving bicycles, power boats and motorcycles.
(AP)
美國職棒洛杉磯道奇隊日本球星大谷翔平的翻譯兼好友，在被指控非法賭博及偷竊大谷後被解僱，讓賭博成癮的問題再度引起關注。
自大谷2017年到美國以來，翻譯水原一平一直是大谷的忠實搭檔。3月20日，在水原一平涉嫌與非法賭博業者來往且債務遠超過100萬美元的消息曝光後，球隊將他解雇。
代表大谷的律師事務所發表聲明，說大谷是「大規模竊盜」的受害者。
水原上週對ESPN表示，大谷對他在國際足球、NBA、NFL及大學橄欖球上的非法投注一無所知。水原說自己賭博成癮，大谷是無辜的受害者。
什麼是問題賭博？
美國「全國預防嗜賭理事會」將賭博成癮定義為「對個人或其家庭造成傷害，常擾亂其日常生活與工作的賭博行為」。
賭博成癮是一種公認的心理診斷，該組織表示，任何賭博的人都可能會得到這種心理疾患。
其症狀包括總是想著賭博、覺得需要更頻繁投注更多資金、再繼續賭想把錢贏回來（亦即想翻本）、感覺失控、不顧後果繼續賭博。
它的影響有多大？
全國預防嗜賭理事會表示，美國約有250萬成年人達到嚴重賭博問題的標準。另外還有500萬至800萬人被認為有輕度或中度的賭博問題。
800-GAMBLER熱線可提供協助及轉介，國際戒賭組織（Gamblers Anonymous）也有資源與援助提供給有賭博問題的人。
運動博弈在哪裡合法？
美國最高法院2018年對紐澤西州提起的一個案件做出裁決，為合法投注打開了大門，此後運動博弈在美國38個州及華盛頓特區都是合法的。超過80%的運動博弈是以手機或筆電在線上進行的。
3月21日，在NCAA大學籃球錦標賽開始之際，美國博弈協會估計美國人今年將透過合法管道在錦標賽上下注27.2億美元。
運動聯盟對賭博採取了哪些措施？
主要職業運動聯盟禁止其球員賭博，許多聯盟對違規行為加以處罰，包括罰款、停賽及終身禁賽。
其中最著名的案例是棒球明星彼得羅斯，他是棒球史上安打數最多的球員，但因投注所屬球隊的比賽而被禁賽。
棒球的集體談判協議包括在年度春訓提供球員安全及保安的教程，包括運動博弈及賭博的相關議題。
與此同時，各聯盟已成為最大博弈公司的商業合作夥伴—除了在2018年之前允許運動博弈的四個州，各聯盟皆曾激烈反對運動博弈合法化。許多球隊和聯盟現在都有官方的運動博弈合作夥伴，並允許運彩公司在其場館投放廣告，有些甚至在其運動場開放簽賭。
簽賭在加州或日本合法嗎？
在美國加州，運動博弈並不合法，儘管有多次要讓選民投票將其合法化。在日本，大多數形式的賭博都是被禁止的，但賽馬、賽車運動以及自行車、摩托賽艇和摩托車的公開比賽則是允許的。
（台北時報林俐凱編譯）
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