Dana White Is Banned From Las Vegas Casino After Winning $7 Million
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UFC president Dana White has joked that he is a "degenerate gambler" but he has won millions of dollars on high-stakes blackjack in Las Vegas casinos.
His run got so spectacular that one venue, the Palms Casino, gave him a UFC-style world championship belt to congratulate him on his winnings - and told White to keep away from the tables.
Small wonder, as White recalls winning £1.6 million there - on more than one occasion - while UFC commentator Joe Rogan has said White has lost up to $1 million in one night but also emerged with a profit of up to $7 million on another (per talkSPORT).
Some context is necessary: White is worth an estimated half a billion dollars.
In 2016, himself and the Fertitta brothers sold their majority stake in the UFC to a consortium of investors for over $4 billion. White has retained his role of president with a reported eight-figure salary.
So all of this is fun money to White, who's handed out $500 tips to clerks. But his skill as a blackjack player has seen casinos ban him from playing, as he explained several years ago while giving a tour of his Vegas office.
"When the Palms was owned by the Maloof [family], I had beat them for $1.6 million," he said. "Then as soon as the Palms sold, the people who came in asked me to stop playing there.
"Listen, Vegas is all about losing, not winning, man. They don't like people who f***ing win!
"Then it sold again, the new ownership said we want you to come back and I beat them for $1.6 million again.
"Instead of just asking me to leave the way that they [the previous owners] did, they gave me this."
White directed the gaze of viewers to a world-title belt which backed up his story, engraved with: "Palms undisputed blackjack champion: Dana White". The top of the belt is emblazoned with: "$1.6 million prize money".
White added: "Undisputed Blackjack champion. 24-0. This is a cool way to say get the f*** out of our casino and don't come back!"
However Rogan believes that's just the tip of the iceberg with White winning up to $7 million at different tables.
But White is honest about his losses, admitting he's lost millions in gambling, including a $1 million bet on a boxing match, when Jermain Taylor lost by knockout to Kelly Pavlik in 2007.
White told ESPN about his dire bet, saying: "Oh my god. What was the kid's name? Jermain Taylor.
"And who did he fight? I know this for the ass-whooping I took. He fought the tall, lanky, white kid from Ohio, Kelly Pavlik.
"I bet $1 million on Taylor and he got destroyed. It was the first time I ever bet $1 million dollars because I was so confident Taylor was going to win that fight."
Maybe steer clear from the boxing bets and stick to blackjack, Dana. If you can find any casinos willing to let you gamble, that is.
