 It subsequently emerged that he had been borrowing large amounts of money from "ōzeki" Kotomitsuki to pay gambling debts.He was reportedly gambling on a much larger scale than others implicated in the scandal, betting tens of millions of yen, and knew that a bookmaker used in the gambling had links to a crime syndicate.He was expelled from the Sumo Association at a special meeting on July 4, and apologised for his actions at a press conference.