2 Ballplayers Referred to Prosecutors over Online Gambling

   Tokyo, May 8 (Jiji Press)--Japanese police have sent papers to prosecutors suspecting that two players of the Yomiuri Giants professional baseball team illegally gambled at online casinos, investigative sources said Thursday.
   The two--Louis Okoye, 27, and Daiki Masuda, 31--have admitted the allegations, the sources said.
   Okoye and Masuda are suspected of using their smartphones to access foreign online casino sites in July 2022 and May 2023, and between October and November 2024, respectively, to gamble.
   The two used Wonder Casino and Konibet casino sites to play such games as blackjack and baccarat. Okoye is believed to have bet about 7 million yen and lost 4.5 million yen, while Masuda apparently wagered about 3 million yen and lost 2.3 million yen.
   Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department had interviewed the two players after the Yomiuri Giants sought advice from the department.

(2025/05/08-14:04)