Dana White is currently one of the most popular and influential figures in today’s sports industry. Even though many wouldn’t agree, White’s significance is similar to Adam Silver’s or Roger Goodell’s. Though, he is a bit different from those guys.
White is not an ordinary businessman, and he doesn’t hide that. He is often straightforward, vulgar, likes to gamble, etc. Now we are sure that the two above-mentioned guys don’t know which one is the best online casino, unlike White, who recently had to figure that out.
Las Vegas
The president of the UFC was reportedly banned from the majority of the casinos in Las Vegas.
Not so long ago, he had a very profitable collaboration with the same, organizing UFC spectacles that created memorable shows. Just remember the bouts between Lidell and Silva or Edgar and Maynard, those were massive shows.
But we’ll get back to that later. The main question here is why White had such a nasty breakup with the casinos.
Allegedly, he had a couple of big wins that were the reason for some of the brands in Las Vegas to limit his gambling credit or simply prevent him from entering the building.
Joe Rogan’s Claim
Joe Rogan’s stories back up this claim, as the famous UFC host stated that White knew to lose a million in one night but that his fortune would quickly change and win seven on the next one. By the way, White strictly played blackjack when gambling in high stakes.
Tom Segura’s Claim
Now, Tom Segura, one of Joe Rogan’s closest friends, revealed that White has a system that helped him beat the dealers. Segura stated that he doesn’t know how the system works, saying that he isn’t aware of anything about it, but White definitely used it to beat the house.
Early Restrictions
One of the first times White encountered restrictions was at the Palms hotel. The hotel was in possession of the Maloof family, who were once the owners of the NBA franchise, the Sacramento Kings.
According to his story, White had beat the house for $1.6 million, which was significant news in Las Vegas at the time. After the change of ownership, the new proprietors asked White not to come to the casino anymore.
His absence from the Palms lasted for two years until 2014 when the new owners called him to get back and play for another $1.6 million, probably as a marketing move.
He would win again, this time not only the money but the replica of the UFC belt with the engravings that said – Undisputed Blackjack Champion.
Soon after that, White won two more million and was asked to stop playing. Allegedly, per his closest environment, from that moment on, the Palms and many other casinos have been closed for White, and in response, the UFC president terminated any cooperation with them.
The Casino vs White
Even though White is one of the wealthiest and most powerful guys in today’s sports, he likes to gamble, and that is something he isn’t hiding at all.
To make it even more interesting, unlike the majority of the billionaires, he is extremely good at this. There aren’t too many famous people who are prohibited from gambling in Las Vegas.
As you all know, most casinos can’t wait to have a famous visitor because they are usually an easy catch. With White, that is not the case.
Verdict
In the meantime, the UFC continues to grow and break records. There are a lot of interesting events coming our way, and the first major one is set for Sunday, July 2, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It is the UFC 276, and it features two title bouts.
The first is for the middleweight belt, between the champion, Israel Adesanya, and the challenger, Jared Cannonier.
The second is the finale of the trilogy between two featherweight stars, the reigning champion, Alexander Volkanovski, and the former belt-holder, Max Holloway.
