Dana White isn’t just the CEO of the UFC; he’s Las Vegas through and through. That side of him was on full display during a recent 60 Minutes, when cameras followed him into the Bellagio for a private baccarat session. What began as a casual display of Vegas glamour quickly turned into a story that left even the interviewer stunned.

At the table, the UFC boss revealed that he was betting $400,000 every hand, complaining that the casino wouldn’t let him gamble more. “Because these sissies won’t give me a million a hand,” he explained. Within minutes, the pleasure of the risk faded as the cards turned against him.

How Dana White turned his bad luck around

The narrator cut in: “You heard right. He was down $1.2 million.” That’s when White shrugged off the tragedy with a phrase that summed up his whole persona: “I’m a sick, sick guy.” But fortune is as unpredictable as Dana White himself. Just ten minutes later, the tide shifted, and the man who appeared to be leaving the Bellagio in defeat was walking away with $700,000.

Another rash decision had somehow paid off. “In this city, nothing is off limits,” White told 60 Minutes, exuding the same confidence that has defined his business and nightlife. This was hardly his first brush with outrageous luck. The UFC CEO has earned a reputation for treating casinos like another octagon to conquer.

He reportedly won $1.1 million in minutes by correctly calling five of six baccarat bets, a feat analysts say has a less than 10% chance of occurring. And, in possibly his most infamous streak, Dana White acknowledged “clipping” Caesar’s Palace for roughly $27 million over three months, bragging that he ruined their quarterly financial report.

“I beat these guys for, like, a million bucks a night,” he told the FULLSEND podcast. High-risk gambling appears to be more than a hobby for the head honcho; it reflects how he runs his company. The UFC generated $1.3 billion in revenue last year, and White himself added a Meta board seat and a hefty stock package to his fortune.

For a man who casually calls million-dollar swings “fun,” the message is clear: Dana White does more than just play the game; he makes it bend to his will. But what about the times when Lady Luck is not by his side? Well, that truly turns into something disastrous, as earlier this month it was revealed that Dana White reportedly owes $25 million in gambling debt.

Dana White owes Red Rocks Casino more than $25 million

The kind of bravado Dana White has only works when the cards fall in your favor. But when they don’t, the same appetite for risk can spiral into chaos. Earlier this month, whispers from Las Vegas offered a different picture of Dana White, one not cashing out millions but allegedly staring down a mountain of debt.

According to rumors, the UFC CEO owes Red Rocks Casino more than $25 million, with some insiders estimating the sum may be as high as $50 million. Well, this shouldn’t be new for Dana White, as he has never masked his habits. He once claimed to have lost $3 million on a blackout-drunk night, gave strangers $1,000 chips, and boasted of beating Caesars Palace for $27 million in just a few months.

He also describes himself as a “degenerate gambler,” and he has long danced on the edge between over-the-top stories and financial disasters. However, when the stories pile up, the difference between charming extravagance and dangerous habit begins to blur.

The shocking figure may not devastate someone worth half a billion dollars, especially if that person considers Red Rocks chairman Frank Fertitta, a former UFC owner, as a friend. However, the thought of Dana White incurring such significant debt changes the narrative. It’s no longer just about a man bending the game to his will; it’s about whether the game has finally discovered a means to fight back.