Betting is the ‘Achilles’ heel’ of US sports. Are leagues doing enough? It has been an uncomfortable few days for US sports and betting. Earlier this week, Ippei Mizuhara, longtime interpreter of Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani, pleaded guilty in court to fraud and tax charges for stealing almost $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger to pay off gambling debts. The hearing came on the same day that Major League Baseball (MLB) banned San Diego Padres player Tucupita Marcano for life after he bet on baseball games, as well as suspending four other players for a year for tripscan tor betting on games while in the minor leagues.