Ohtani did and I bet this guy was a mule for Ohtani's betting transactions. And I bet that tOhtani and the interpreter have reached an agreement to take the fall.

On edit....really too bad that Ohtani caught the Pete Rose virus....he was just getting started.

to gamble, and like many gamblers, the fever, the desire and thrill for action got out of hand and he was in over his head and it came time to pay up.

The underground bookies demanded their money, or else.

Shohei certainly doesn't need to gamble, he's already got money. Somewhat naive and relying on his interpretor to guide him in a strange country/language. I think he'll come out of this chastened but wiser.

lose their STAR so will make stuff up and cover for him. It is always about $$$.

The single biggest piece of evidence is the interpreter admitting in an interview that he owed money.
Covering for Ohtani seems better served by saying nothing.

I don't know who is in the wrong here, but I'm certain we do not have all the facts right now.

I've already seen a lot of posts on-line depicting Ohtani as being in the wrong and I can't help but feel that it goes deeper than just Dodger hatred.....especially.....especially because we don't have all the facts.

With Rose we had his palm prints on his betting sheet along with his handwriting and betting instructions. Show me that smoking gun for Ohtani. Until then the jury should be out on this one.

In addition, the interpreter agreed to an interview he didn't have to do & admitted he owed big money.
If this was to somehow cover for Ohtani, who can afford it, it makes no sense.
It would have made much more sense to decline the interview & say nothing about it.
That's why, as weird as the story is, and the information gap is huge, I don't buy that it's Ohtani.
The data we have doesn't lead me there.