A US media outlet has reported major League Baseball star Ohtani Shohei's former interpreter still has gambling debts with a bookmaker.

The Orange County Register has quoted a source associated with Mathew Bowyer -- an alleged illegal bookmaker -- as saying Mizuhara Ippei still has unpaid gambling debts. Bowyer reportedly declined comment to the media when reached by phone on Wednesday.

The Orange County Register reports that Bowyer's relationship with Mizuhara began in 2021, when they met through a mutual friend in a hotel lobby in San Diego, California.

It says the friend introduced Mizuhara, who was placing a bet on his cell phone with another bookmaker, to Bowyer, saying, "This is the guy you need to be betting with."

It says Mizuhara started betting small amounts on international soccer, basketball and football, but never baseball. It also says as his losses grew, so did his bets, according to the source.

US media had reported that at least 4.5 million dollars was transferred from Ohtani's bank account to an associate of Bowyer's. Ohtani's lawyers have accused Mizuhara of wiring the money. Mizuhara told US media and others that the money was meant to repay his sports gambling debts.