Former Yomiuri Giants pitcher Shoki Kasahara, banned indefinitely by Nippon Professional Baseball for betting on baseball, told Kyodo News that gambling in general was customary within his team before he bet on his own sport.
"We players were betting money on cards and mahjong in the first place, and our recognition that it was illegal was low," Kasahara said. "I took part in that."
Kasahara said the habit of gambling, at the team dorm and in the clubhouse, already existed when he joined the team in 2009, and claimed "¥100,000 (roughly $895) would sometimes change hands on a single bet."