UFC President Dana White made a startling admission about his gambling habits during his recent appearance on the Lex Fridman Podcast. White, who is well-known for being a prolific gambler, revealed that he once lost a staggering $3 million in a single night while gambling at the Rio casino in Las Vegas.
The 53-year-old recounted the incident, stating that he was drinking at the Rio casino when he started gambling. “So one night I’m over at the Rio, so we’re having some drinks at dinner and blah, blah, blah. We start gambling. I continue to drink and I lost like 80 grand,” White said.
However, White’s perception of how much he had lost that night was way off the mark. “So I wake up the next morning, I’m like, ‘F*** those motherf***ers got me for 80,000 last night.’ And da da da da da. The host over there calls me and he’s like, ‘Dana, you lost $3 million last night,'” he revealed.
White was initially in disbelief, questioning how he could have lost such an astronomical sum when he only had a $1.5 million credit line at the casino. But he then admitted, “That sounds like something I would do. Serial number. That was the real number.”
This $3 million loss is not surprising given White’s well-documented history as a skilled blackjack player who has won and lost millions in Las Vegas casinos over the years. He has been banned from four different casinos, including twice from the Palms Casino, due to his penchant for big winnings against the house.
Casinos have tried varied tactics to appease White, such as presenting him with a “Blackjack Championship belt” and temporarily lifting bans, only to reinstate them when he continues taking the house for massive amounts.
UFC spent under $3M for UFC 270, as per California Athletic State Comission. CSAC is one of the rare jurisdictions that actually releases disclosed pay.
The total sum of all the purse amounts listed in the image is $2,874,000.
White has been vocal about criticizing casinos for their practices, claiming, “Casinos don’t want to gamble anymore. They’re all owned by hedge funds and corporations. They want to stack the odds so much against you that [you] won’t play.”
While the $3 million loss is unquestionably a massive sum, White’s ability to withstand such losses is likely bolstered by his lucrative career leading the UFC. His net worth is estimated to be around $500 million.