1 00:00:01,399 --> 00:00:03,818 [cheering] 2 00:00:03,818 --> 00:00:09,282 [Michael] I had my first big win at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas. 3 00:00:09,282 --> 00:00:12,159 ♪ ♪ 4 00:00:12,159 --> 00:00:14,829 [cheering] 5 00:00:14,829 --> 00:00:17,498 God came down and said, "Michael, 6 00:00:17,498 --> 00:00:20,584 the answer to all of your financial problems 7 00:00:20,584 --> 00:00:21,544 are the slots." 8 00:00:25,256 --> 00:00:27,216 And as I'm sitting there, all of a sudden... 9 00:00:28,175 --> 00:00:29,176 [bells ringing] 10 00:00:29,176 --> 00:00:30,886 ...bells start going off. 11 00:00:30,886 --> 00:00:33,347 I had hit the jackpot. 12 00:00:33,347 --> 00:00:35,433 I won $100,000. 13 00:00:35,433 --> 00:00:38,811 ♪ ♪ 14 00:00:38,811 --> 00:00:44,442 And that feeling was just one of complete bliss. 15 00:00:44,442 --> 00:00:47,862 People would come by and touch me. 16 00:00:47,862 --> 00:00:52,033 From that day on, I was known as Mr. Lucky. 17 00:00:52,033 --> 00:00:54,493 [Mariana van Zeller] They call it "the big win." 18 00:00:54,493 --> 00:00:59,165 The potent rush of money won versus money earned. 19 00:00:59,165 --> 00:01:01,792 And gamblers have been chasing it for generations. 20 00:01:01,792 --> 00:01:03,210 [screaming] 21 00:01:03,210 --> 00:01:04,628 [Sharon Stone] Yes! 22 00:01:04,628 --> 00:01:07,214 [Mariana] Even Hollywood has played into this fantasy. 23 00:01:07,214 --> 00:01:08,507 [George Clooney] I'll raise you 2,000. 24 00:01:08,507 --> 00:01:10,926 [James Gandolfini] Kinda high stakes for you, no? 25 00:01:10,926 --> 00:01:13,304 [Mariana] America's legal gambling industry rakes in 26 00:01:13,304 --> 00:01:16,724 over $200 billion a year, 27 00:01:16,724 --> 00:01:19,310 but for some bookies and bettors, 28 00:01:19,310 --> 00:01:21,312 it's not enough. 29 00:01:21,312 --> 00:01:23,481 [Gambler] I'm competitive and I like to win. 30 00:01:23,481 --> 00:01:24,523 In gambling, it's really clear 31 00:01:24,523 --> 00:01:26,901 whether you're a winner or you're a loser. 32 00:01:26,901 --> 00:01:28,569 [Mariana] Black market games and casinos 33 00:01:28,569 --> 00:01:31,113 are popping up all over the country. 34 00:01:31,113 --> 00:01:33,449 [Gambler] A lot of celebrities, a lot of politicians, 35 00:01:33,449 --> 00:01:34,950 and they all want a private place 36 00:01:34,950 --> 00:01:37,828 where they can just act however they want to act. 37 00:01:37,828 --> 00:01:40,164 [Mariana] Where fortunes are being lost and won... 38 00:01:42,249 --> 00:01:43,501 [Man] You're right. 39 00:01:43,501 --> 00:01:45,628 [Mariana] ...off the books and in the shadows. 40 00:02:19,745 --> 00:02:23,499 ♪ ♪ 41 00:02:23,499 --> 00:02:27,169 ♪ ♪ 42 00:02:47,690 --> 00:02:48,899 [Mariana] Yeah. It's quite interesting 43 00:02:48,899 --> 00:02:50,860 that we have to call you all the way from Mexico. 44 00:02:50,860 --> 00:02:53,237 Mexican journalist Miguel Angel Vega 45 00:02:53,237 --> 00:02:56,323 is an old friend and colleague who's helped me gain access 46 00:02:56,323 --> 00:03:00,327 to many criminal operators throughout my career. 47 00:03:00,327 --> 00:03:03,080 Tonight, 300 miles from Los Angeles, 48 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:05,458 we're due to meet a cartel associate 49 00:03:05,458 --> 00:03:08,294 who's rumored to host an illegal poker game. 50 00:03:08,294 --> 00:03:09,837 What's his connection to the cartel? 51 00:03:26,770 --> 00:03:31,317 [dog barking] 52 00:03:43,871 --> 00:03:45,456 [Mariana] Well, thank you. 53 00:03:45,456 --> 00:03:47,708 He tells me to call him Tony. 54 00:03:47,708 --> 00:03:50,461 Originally from Los Angeles, he now lives here 55 00:03:50,461 --> 00:03:53,297 in an undisclosed part of Northern California. 56 00:04:16,195 --> 00:04:19,031 [dog barking] 57 00:04:22,576 --> 00:04:26,038 [Mariana] Before the game begins, 58 00:04:26,038 --> 00:04:28,165 all of the players must disarm. 59 00:04:34,630 --> 00:04:35,923 [Tony] Play some games. 60 00:04:35,923 --> 00:04:37,383 [Mariana] Despite Tony's admission 61 00:04:37,383 --> 00:04:38,926 that his clients are a mix 62 00:04:38,926 --> 00:04:42,763 of ex-cons, cartel associates, and possibly contract killers... 63 00:04:42,763 --> 00:04:44,056 Oh, wow. You guys start strong, huh? 64 00:04:44,056 --> 00:04:45,516 [Player] [bleep] it. 65 00:04:45,516 --> 00:04:48,352 [Mariana] ...tonight's stakes aren't particularly high, 66 00:04:48,352 --> 00:04:50,145 just a few thousand bucks. 67 00:04:52,064 --> 00:04:53,065 [Mariana] How much money did you make? 68 00:04:57,403 --> 00:04:58,487 [bleep] 69 00:04:58,487 --> 00:05:01,115 [players speaking Spanish] 70 00:05:01,115 --> 00:05:02,241 [Mariana] So are you seeing more 71 00:05:02,241 --> 00:05:04,326 of these underground games happening? 72 00:05:21,218 --> 00:05:23,637 [Mariana] The players tell me there are thousands 73 00:05:23,637 --> 00:05:26,640 of unlicensed casinos and underworld card games 74 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:29,768 taking place in every city across the country. 75 00:05:29,768 --> 00:05:31,103 Have you ever been 76 00:05:31,103 --> 00:05:33,689 to any of those high-rolling illegal poker nights? 77 00:05:38,569 --> 00:05:39,445 [Tony] Yeah. 78 00:06:00,799 --> 00:06:01,759 [Mariana] Oh, my God. 79 00:06:06,972 --> 00:06:09,516 [Mariana] For years I've opened these doors 80 00:06:09,516 --> 00:06:11,810 and gained access to all manner of black markets. 81 00:06:11,810 --> 00:06:13,228 [gunshot] 82 00:06:13,228 --> 00:06:16,398 But these markets typically offer products or services 83 00:06:16,398 --> 00:06:18,859 that are outlawed. 84 00:06:18,859 --> 00:06:22,780 And that's what makes Tony's story so mysterious. 85 00:06:22,780 --> 00:06:24,573 Why is the underground gambling scene 86 00:06:24,573 --> 00:06:26,659 booming in the United States 87 00:06:26,659 --> 00:06:29,745 when a legal market already exists? 88 00:06:29,745 --> 00:06:33,415 I want to find out who's running these black market games 89 00:06:33,415 --> 00:06:35,459 and what the attraction is. 90 00:06:44,176 --> 00:06:47,304 [dog barking] 91 00:07:20,254 --> 00:07:22,089 [Mariana] Oh, yeah. 92 00:07:22,089 --> 00:07:23,924 There's more people coming. 93 00:07:30,389 --> 00:07:33,225 [Mariana] I'm riding shotgun tonight with Detective Juarez 94 00:07:33,225 --> 00:07:36,562 of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. 95 00:07:36,562 --> 00:07:37,980 His team is conducting surveillance 96 00:07:37,980 --> 00:07:39,148 on a criminal network 97 00:07:39,148 --> 00:07:42,693 that operates multiple underworld casinos. 98 00:07:42,693 --> 00:07:43,861 So this is a big player 99 00:07:43,861 --> 00:07:45,738 that you guys have been tracking for a while 100 00:07:45,738 --> 00:07:48,449 that runs, you think, more than one illegal casino? 101 00:07:50,659 --> 00:07:52,703 [Mariana] And what can you tell me about this person? 102 00:08:13,724 --> 00:08:17,227 [Mariana] How many of these illegal casinos 103 00:08:17,227 --> 00:08:19,521 do you think exist in LA County? 104 00:08:24,276 --> 00:08:25,152 [Mariana] Wow. 105 00:08:26,945 --> 00:08:29,448 [Reporter] You're looking at security tape of SWAT officers 106 00:08:29,448 --> 00:08:32,534 serving a search warrant on an illegal gambling house 107 00:08:32,534 --> 00:08:34,661 inside an Anaheim furniture store. 108 00:08:34,661 --> 00:08:35,996 [Reporter] Dozens of people are busted 109 00:08:35,996 --> 00:08:38,791 in an alleged illegal gambling raid. 110 00:08:38,791 --> 00:08:40,584 [Reporter] Unregulated popup casinos 111 00:08:40,584 --> 00:08:42,628 have been magnets for criminal activity. 112 00:08:42,628 --> 00:08:44,213 [Reporter] Sheriff's deputies are investigating 113 00:08:44,213 --> 00:08:45,464 the shooting death of a man 114 00:08:45,464 --> 00:08:48,175 inside an illegal gambling establishment. 115 00:08:48,175 --> 00:08:50,469 [Reporter] A Brooklyn shootout that killed four people 116 00:08:50,469 --> 00:08:53,388 inside an illegal gambling club. 117 00:08:53,388 --> 00:08:56,225 [Mariana] Tonight's target is a type of illegal casino 118 00:08:56,225 --> 00:08:57,810 called a casita. 119 00:08:57,810 --> 00:09:00,270 Spanish for "little house." 120 00:09:00,270 --> 00:09:02,189 Casita profits aren't solely driven 121 00:09:02,189 --> 00:09:04,149 by old-fashioned card games 122 00:09:04,149 --> 00:09:07,319 but an upgrade in electronic gaming. 123 00:09:07,319 --> 00:09:10,697 [electronic whooshes and dings] 124 00:09:11,615 --> 00:09:12,825 [Officer] Okay. Stand by. 125 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:22,918 [Mariana] The team spots one of the ringleaders, a woman, 126 00:09:22,918 --> 00:09:24,628 and decides to pursue her. 127 00:09:27,256 --> 00:09:28,382 [Juarez] Copy. 128 00:09:43,730 --> 00:09:45,691 [Mariana] Detective Juarez hopes this woman 129 00:09:45,691 --> 00:09:50,362 is going to lead his team to more casino locations. 130 00:09:50,362 --> 00:09:54,616 And if they're lucky, they'll take down the entire operation. 131 00:10:16,638 --> 00:10:18,515 [Mariana] The LA County Sheriff's Department 132 00:10:18,515 --> 00:10:20,225 is in pursuit of a woman 133 00:10:20,225 --> 00:10:23,437 suspected of running multiple underworld casinos. 134 00:10:57,638 --> 00:11:01,600 [Mariana] Detective Juarez lets the suspect get away for now. 135 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:04,811 But nothing I witnessed tonight surprises me. 136 00:11:04,811 --> 00:11:07,272 [gaming machines burbling] 137 00:11:07,272 --> 00:11:09,191 ♪ ♪ 138 00:11:09,191 --> 00:11:12,736 Criminals and casinos have always gone hand in hand, 139 00:11:12,736 --> 00:11:16,156 perhaps most famously when a mobster named Bugsy Siegel 140 00:11:16,156 --> 00:11:19,117 helped build a city dedicated to gambling: 141 00:11:19,117 --> 00:11:20,577 Las Vegas, Nevada. 142 00:11:20,577 --> 00:11:24,831 ♪ I'm in love with a girl that I think is so fine ♪ 143 00:11:24,831 --> 00:11:29,127 [Mariana] Nevada was the first US state to legalize gambling. 144 00:11:29,127 --> 00:11:32,256 But, over time, Las Vegas cleaned up its act. 145 00:11:32,256 --> 00:11:34,841 They kicked out the mob. 146 00:11:34,841 --> 00:11:37,719 Then the corporations took over. 147 00:11:37,719 --> 00:11:42,266 Today, some form of gambling is legal in almost every state. 148 00:11:44,893 --> 00:11:49,022 And yet the underworld continues to take a piece of the action. 149 00:11:49,022 --> 00:11:51,733 [phone ringing] 150 00:11:51,733 --> 00:11:55,237 I want to know how it works, from the street-level games 151 00:11:55,237 --> 00:11:58,532 to the high roller events I heard about. 152 00:11:58,532 --> 00:12:01,702 But first, I need to find my way inside the scene. 153 00:12:03,245 --> 00:12:04,121 [Mariana] Hey, El. How are you doing? 154 00:12:07,290 --> 00:12:10,585 [Mariana] I'm about like five minutes from you now. 155 00:12:10,585 --> 00:12:13,463 We're close to South LA here. 156 00:12:13,463 --> 00:12:15,215 I'm going to meet a person, 157 00:12:15,215 --> 00:12:17,175 a contact that has some connections 158 00:12:17,175 --> 00:12:21,722 that run some of these operations. 159 00:12:21,722 --> 00:12:22,806 I think he might be here. 160 00:12:31,189 --> 00:12:32,524 [Mariana] So how does this game work? 161 00:12:32,524 --> 00:12:34,192 [Contact] It's just the typical rules of craps. 162 00:12:34,192 --> 00:12:36,987 You know, 7, 11, snake eyes. 163 00:12:36,987 --> 00:12:38,780 Your money has to be on the floor 164 00:12:38,780 --> 00:12:39,948 for the bet to be good, yeah. 165 00:12:47,664 --> 00:12:50,208 [All] Ooh! 166 00:12:50,208 --> 00:12:51,668 [Gambler] Another one of you... 167 00:12:51,668 --> 00:12:53,003 [Mariana] Have you seen like more 168 00:12:53,003 --> 00:12:56,006 of these underground gambling facilities pop up? 169 00:12:56,006 --> 00:12:59,134 [Contact] I would most definitely say that. 170 00:12:59,134 --> 00:13:02,387 [Mariana] Do you think we'd be able to get access to one? 171 00:13:02,387 --> 00:13:04,473 [Contact] Those things are like more hush-hush. 172 00:13:04,473 --> 00:13:06,141 If you want to tap in to certain stuff, 173 00:13:06,141 --> 00:13:07,726 there's a way to tap in. 174 00:13:07,726 --> 00:13:10,604 [Mariana] I have no doubt he's right, but at the moment, 175 00:13:10,604 --> 00:13:13,440 I'm definitely not tapped in to the right people. 176 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:17,277 So I reach out to my underworld contacts across the country. 177 00:13:17,277 --> 00:13:24,242 [phone ringing] 178 00:13:24,242 --> 00:13:26,411 [siren] 179 00:13:27,621 --> 00:13:28,747 [Mariana] Hey. Hi. 180 00:13:32,459 --> 00:13:34,336 [Mariana] They still, they're expecting us? 181 00:13:41,551 --> 00:13:43,011 [Mariana] I got the hood pass. Okay. 182 00:13:49,101 --> 00:13:50,477 [Mariana] It's becoming clear to me 183 00:13:50,477 --> 00:13:52,521 that the gambling underworld isn't controlled 184 00:13:52,521 --> 00:13:55,440 by a single criminal network. 185 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:56,608 What's this game called? 186 00:13:56,608 --> 00:13:58,610 [Man] Four-five-six is the name of the game. 187 00:13:58,610 --> 00:14:00,695 Cee-lo. 188 00:14:00,695 --> 00:14:02,614 [Mariana] But just like the old casinos, 189 00:14:02,614 --> 00:14:05,659 gangsters are often the gatekeepers. 190 00:14:14,459 --> 00:14:16,086 [Mariana] So are these, a lot of these places 191 00:14:16,086 --> 00:14:18,296 controlled by gangs? 192 00:14:18,296 --> 00:14:21,258 Is there a lot of gang affiliation? 193 00:14:21,258 --> 00:14:22,134 You're looking at me... 194 00:14:23,802 --> 00:14:25,053 [Mariana] ...with intimidating eyes. 195 00:14:28,265 --> 00:14:30,142 [Mariana] Oh, I can see your eyes. 196 00:14:30,142 --> 00:14:34,437 The owner of this establishment tells me to call him Ray Ray 197 00:14:34,437 --> 00:14:37,774 and says he's a college graduate with a business degree. 198 00:14:37,774 --> 00:14:40,110 But he manages several dice games 199 00:14:40,110 --> 00:14:43,697 because, quite simply, they make a ton of money. 200 00:14:43,697 --> 00:14:45,740 Do people have to pay to come in here and play? 201 00:14:52,289 --> 00:14:54,249 [Mariana] So if there are so many legal options, 202 00:14:54,249 --> 00:14:55,375 places to go gamble, 203 00:14:55,375 --> 00:14:57,002 why do you think people prefer to come here? 204 00:15:14,644 --> 00:15:15,854 [Mariana] So is it, is it dangerous? 205 00:15:15,854 --> 00:15:16,855 Is it a dangerous business? 206 00:15:27,616 --> 00:15:29,784 [laughs] 207 00:15:29,784 --> 00:15:31,661 [Mariana] Ray Ray tells me this is the reason 208 00:15:31,661 --> 00:15:35,081 why casino security is so tight. 209 00:15:35,081 --> 00:15:37,042 In LA, a lot of gambling facilities 210 00:15:37,042 --> 00:15:40,045 have to pay the Mexican Mafia to be able to operate there. 211 00:15:41,213 --> 00:15:42,297 [Mariana] Yeah. 212 00:15:42,297 --> 00:15:44,216 So, is there something similar here? 213 00:15:44,216 --> 00:15:45,550 Do you have to pay anyone? 214 00:15:54,059 --> 00:15:54,935 [Mariana] Got it. 215 00:15:58,855 --> 00:16:02,651 [Mariana] He refuses to tell me much more about his operation. 216 00:16:02,651 --> 00:16:05,153 But another one of my trusted Los Angeles sources 217 00:16:05,153 --> 00:16:06,029 comes through. 218 00:16:07,906 --> 00:16:11,576 [train horn blows] 219 00:16:11,576 --> 00:16:13,286 [bell ringing] 220 00:16:16,414 --> 00:16:18,458 [Mariana] We're meeting, um, a contact of mine 221 00:16:18,458 --> 00:16:21,670 that I've had here for, for many years now. 222 00:16:21,670 --> 00:16:24,089 He's an ex-convict. 223 00:16:24,089 --> 00:16:27,425 He's sort of linked to the Mexican Mafia. 224 00:16:27,425 --> 00:16:29,094 Gang member. 225 00:16:29,094 --> 00:16:31,388 This contact claims he can get me inside 226 00:16:31,388 --> 00:16:34,808 one of the underworld casinos, the casitas, 227 00:16:34,808 --> 00:16:37,352 that I've been hearing so much about. 228 00:16:37,352 --> 00:16:39,479 And it's kind of amazing just how hard it's been 229 00:16:39,479 --> 00:16:42,190 for us to get access to these casitas. 230 00:16:42,190 --> 00:16:43,817 But finally, tonight, 231 00:16:43,817 --> 00:16:46,653 it looks like something is going to happen. 232 00:16:46,653 --> 00:16:48,029 ♪ ♪ 233 00:16:48,029 --> 00:16:49,656 [airplane overhead] 234 00:16:49,656 --> 00:16:54,202 ♪ ♪ 235 00:16:54,202 --> 00:16:58,373 ♪ ♪ 236 00:17:11,094 --> 00:17:15,849 [siren] 237 00:17:15,849 --> 00:17:19,769 [Mariana] For weeks, I've been crisscrossing the country, 238 00:17:19,769 --> 00:17:21,938 searching for someone 239 00:17:21,938 --> 00:17:25,859 who can get me inside an invite-only illegal casino. 240 00:17:25,859 --> 00:17:27,360 [train horn blows] 241 00:17:30,655 --> 00:17:33,116 And tonight, one of my sources, 242 00:17:33,116 --> 00:17:36,661 an ex-con with links to the Mexican Mafia, 243 00:17:36,661 --> 00:17:39,831 finally comes through. 244 00:17:39,831 --> 00:17:41,333 Hey, [bleep]. 245 00:17:41,333 --> 00:17:42,917 How are you doing? 246 00:17:48,340 --> 00:17:54,763 ♪ ♪ 247 00:17:54,763 --> 00:17:58,475 [gaming machines burbling] 248 00:17:58,475 --> 00:17:59,517 ♪ ♪ 249 00:17:59,517 --> 00:18:02,771 [beeping and warbling] 250 00:18:06,316 --> 00:18:09,277 ♪ ♪ 251 00:18:09,277 --> 00:18:10,654 [Mariana] Do you say "welcome to Vegas" 252 00:18:10,654 --> 00:18:12,447 to everybody that walks in, or just me? 253 00:18:20,038 --> 00:18:21,998 [Mariana] The owner of this underground casino 254 00:18:21,998 --> 00:18:24,459 tells me to call him B. 255 00:18:24,459 --> 00:18:27,670 He says he owns three locations like this one, 256 00:18:27,670 --> 00:18:31,633 open 24 hours a day to keep up with demand. 257 00:18:31,633 --> 00:18:33,343 So this place, if we weren't here... 258 00:18:39,849 --> 00:18:42,018 [Mariana] This machine is called a fish game... 259 00:18:42,018 --> 00:18:43,561 [beeping] 260 00:18:43,561 --> 00:18:47,816 ...and it's the main attraction at many of these casitas. 261 00:18:47,816 --> 00:18:51,903 Casinos like this are also called slap-houses 262 00:18:51,903 --> 00:18:53,488 for obvious reasons. 263 00:18:53,488 --> 00:18:54,781 I can't go as fast as you can. 264 00:18:54,781 --> 00:18:56,324 That's insane. 265 00:18:56,324 --> 00:18:59,202 God, my hands are hurting already. 266 00:18:59,202 --> 00:19:01,538 These fish games are simple to play 267 00:19:01,538 --> 00:19:04,708 and are programmed to deliver a jackpot 268 00:19:04,708 --> 00:19:07,001 when enough money has been paid into the machine. 269 00:19:17,011 --> 00:19:17,929 [Mariana] Really? 270 00:19:20,473 --> 00:19:22,600 [Mariana] Wow. 271 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:24,060 Kind of cheating a little bit, no? 272 00:19:27,689 --> 00:19:28,857 [Mariana] When you didn't have these businesses, 273 00:19:28,857 --> 00:19:30,066 what were you doing? 274 00:19:32,193 --> 00:19:33,319 [Mariana] How much money are you making here 275 00:19:33,319 --> 00:19:35,363 compared, how do you compare it to meth? 276 00:19:37,824 --> 00:19:39,284 [Mariana] You're making much more money now? 277 00:19:39,284 --> 00:19:40,201 Like what? Double? 278 00:19:42,287 --> 00:19:46,791 [Mariana] B claims he's making about $240,000 a month 279 00:19:46,791 --> 00:19:48,752 from his three casitas. 280 00:19:48,752 --> 00:19:50,879 So this is way more profitable? 281 00:19:50,879 --> 00:19:51,796 Why is that? 282 00:20:05,185 --> 00:20:09,481 [Woman] I was gambling every day, 283 00:20:09,481 --> 00:20:11,107 morning, noon, and night, 284 00:20:11,107 --> 00:20:15,820 before work, after work, even at work. 285 00:20:17,906 --> 00:20:24,037 The casino noise, it drowns out your life. 286 00:20:24,037 --> 00:20:28,374 The bang, zoom, the lights, 287 00:20:28,374 --> 00:20:31,252 it drowns out everything that you need to hear. 288 00:20:33,046 --> 00:20:35,590 And I couldn't stop. 289 00:20:35,590 --> 00:20:37,008 I could not stop. 290 00:20:39,344 --> 00:20:42,639 [Mariana] Scientists now know that gambling affects the brain 291 00:20:42,639 --> 00:20:44,557 much like drugs. 292 00:20:44,557 --> 00:20:47,477 When we gamble, our brains release dopamine, 293 00:20:47,477 --> 00:20:48,853 the "feel-good" chemical, 294 00:20:48,853 --> 00:20:51,564 and we experience a jolt of pleasure. 295 00:20:51,564 --> 00:20:54,359 ♪ ♪ 296 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:57,904 But gambling is different than a drug-induced high, 297 00:20:57,904 --> 00:20:59,572 'cause dopamine is released 298 00:20:59,572 --> 00:21:03,117 regardless of whether we win or lose. 299 00:21:03,117 --> 00:21:06,871 It's the thrill of taking risks that triggers the pleasure. 300 00:21:06,871 --> 00:21:10,041 Today, an estimated three million Americans 301 00:21:10,041 --> 00:21:11,834 cannot stop gambling. 302 00:21:14,128 --> 00:21:16,714 [Man] Technically, I am an addict, you know? 303 00:21:16,714 --> 00:21:19,509 Probably by the book, I'm probably an addict. 304 00:21:22,929 --> 00:21:24,556 It's literally like a drug. 305 00:21:27,100 --> 00:21:30,937 Once it grips you, it grips you, and it's hard to let it go. 306 00:21:33,606 --> 00:21:34,899 I think social media 307 00:21:34,899 --> 00:21:37,610 is the biggest factor in all of this. 308 00:21:37,610 --> 00:21:39,404 -43... -Yep. 309 00:21:39,404 --> 00:21:40,446 44... 310 00:21:40,446 --> 00:21:42,323 Those guys are the face of gambling, 311 00:21:42,323 --> 00:21:44,909 and everybody's following their plays, 312 00:21:44,909 --> 00:21:48,079 everybody is following their advice. 313 00:21:48,079 --> 00:21:50,123 [Mariana] Social media is littered with people 314 00:21:50,123 --> 00:21:53,793 who claim to be astonishingly successful gamblers. 315 00:21:53,793 --> 00:21:56,004 Like this guy. 316 00:21:56,004 --> 00:21:57,171 [Mikki Mase] It's like 408. 317 00:21:57,171 --> 00:21:58,548 [Man] $408,000. 318 00:21:58,548 --> 00:22:00,717 [Mikki] We're gonna try to make this a million. 319 00:22:00,717 --> 00:22:03,011 [Logan Paul] Tonight? 320 00:22:03,011 --> 00:22:05,847 [Mariana] His social media handle is dirtygothboi, 321 00:22:05,847 --> 00:22:07,765 but he goes by Mikki Mase. 322 00:22:07,765 --> 00:22:08,975 [Mikki] How much did I win? 323 00:22:08,975 --> 00:22:10,184 [Worker] You won $3.1 million, give or take. 324 00:22:10,184 --> 00:22:11,185 [Mikki] Thank you, man. 325 00:22:11,185 --> 00:22:12,478 [Mariana] And he's rumored to be 326 00:22:12,478 --> 00:22:16,399 one of Las Vegas' biggest winners of all time. 327 00:22:16,399 --> 00:22:17,984 [Worker] We're not gonna allow you to play here. 328 00:22:17,984 --> 00:22:19,277 [Mikki] Why? 329 00:22:19,277 --> 00:22:20,987 [Worker] Because your play is too good for us. 330 00:22:20,987 --> 00:22:23,114 [Man] He racked it up for 373,000. 331 00:22:23,114 --> 00:22:24,657 [Mikki] Profit, 200,000. 332 00:22:24,657 --> 00:22:26,618 [Man] He took five grand and flipped it to 200 333 00:22:26,618 --> 00:22:28,995 before I knew what the [bleep] happened. 334 00:22:28,995 --> 00:22:31,122 [Mariana] Mikki claims to come from a long line 335 00:22:31,122 --> 00:22:33,291 of "degenerate gamblers." 336 00:22:33,291 --> 00:22:35,460 He also says he was a heroin addict, 337 00:22:35,460 --> 00:22:40,048 spent time in juvenile prison, and worked on Wall Street. 338 00:22:40,048 --> 00:22:41,257 [Mikki] So my number one game is baccarat, 339 00:22:41,257 --> 00:22:42,717 but it used to be blackjack. 340 00:22:42,717 --> 00:22:44,218 [Man] He allegedly wins a lot of money at a game 341 00:22:44,218 --> 00:22:46,387 that no one in the history of casino gambling has beaten. 342 00:22:46,387 --> 00:22:47,889 [Man] In the long term, you're always gonna lose. 343 00:22:47,889 --> 00:22:49,557 [Mikki] If that was true, then why am I banned 344 00:22:49,557 --> 00:22:51,893 from the city of Las Vegas? 345 00:22:51,893 --> 00:22:54,437 [Mariana] There's an old saying about gamblers: 346 00:22:54,437 --> 00:22:58,900 Always assume everyone's bluffing at all times. 347 00:22:58,900 --> 00:23:00,360 But Mikki promises to show me 348 00:23:00,360 --> 00:23:02,987 a side of the underworld gambling scene 349 00:23:02,987 --> 00:23:04,948 I can't even imagine. 350 00:23:10,411 --> 00:23:11,913 ♪ ♪ 351 00:23:11,913 --> 00:23:13,081 [Man] Oh, up top. 352 00:23:14,832 --> 00:23:17,001 [Mariana] I've been searching for a gambler who can get me 353 00:23:17,001 --> 00:23:20,713 inside the big money, high roller card games. 354 00:23:23,049 --> 00:23:26,511 Mikki Mase is exactly this kind of player. 355 00:23:26,511 --> 00:23:29,806 ♪ ♪ 356 00:23:29,806 --> 00:23:30,682 We're getting close. 357 00:23:33,142 --> 00:23:34,310 He's someone who's fled 358 00:23:34,310 --> 00:23:37,438 the legal, sanitized Sin City casinos. 359 00:23:40,358 --> 00:23:46,489 In fact, Mikki calls himself a Vegas exile. 360 00:23:46,489 --> 00:23:48,366 So you're, literally you cannot go 361 00:23:48,366 --> 00:23:49,534 to any of the casinos in Vegas? 362 00:23:49,534 --> 00:23:51,661 [Mikki] I'm allowed in two casinos. 363 00:23:51,661 --> 00:23:52,912 [Mariana] Why? 364 00:23:52,912 --> 00:23:54,038 [Mikki] Winning too much. 365 00:23:54,038 --> 00:23:57,208 ♪ ♪ 366 00:23:57,208 --> 00:23:58,710 They all say something different. 367 00:23:58,710 --> 00:23:59,752 Some of them simply say, 368 00:23:59,752 --> 00:24:00,920 "Never come back to our property," 369 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:02,213 and hang up the phone. 370 00:24:02,213 --> 00:24:04,048 Some of them say, "You've won too much 371 00:24:04,048 --> 00:24:06,801 and you're not losing it back, and you're bad for business." 372 00:24:06,801 --> 00:24:08,428 And some have accused me of cheating, 373 00:24:08,428 --> 00:24:10,888 but they can't figure out how. 374 00:24:10,888 --> 00:24:12,932 [Mariana] What's the most amount of money you've ever won? 375 00:24:12,932 --> 00:24:14,684 [Mikki] The most I've ever won in one session? 376 00:24:14,684 --> 00:24:15,685 [Mariana] Yeah. 377 00:24:15,685 --> 00:24:17,729 [Mikki] $11,526,000. 378 00:24:20,231 --> 00:24:22,984 Every casino gives like a different bag 379 00:24:22,984 --> 00:24:24,485 when you win in cash. 380 00:24:24,485 --> 00:24:25,945 They give it to you in hundred-dollar bills, 381 00:24:25,945 --> 00:24:28,030 and they give it to you like packed in cellophane, 382 00:24:28,030 --> 00:24:29,532 and it slides perfectly into this bag. 383 00:24:29,532 --> 00:24:32,034 [Man] Are you [bleep] kidding me? 384 00:24:32,034 --> 00:24:34,996 The [bleep] vacuum seals! 385 00:24:34,996 --> 00:24:36,706 [Mikki] The only way to acquire one of these 386 00:24:36,706 --> 00:24:38,791 is you have to win half a million dollars 387 00:24:38,791 --> 00:24:40,251 from the Venetian or the Palazzo. 388 00:24:40,251 --> 00:24:41,419 [Mariana] All these bags 389 00:24:41,419 --> 00:24:42,587 are half a million dollars that you won? 390 00:24:42,587 --> 00:24:44,297 [Mikki] Yeah, I have more. 391 00:24:44,297 --> 00:24:46,758 I even cleaned them out three times. 392 00:24:46,758 --> 00:24:48,843 So we took whatever bags they had on hand, 393 00:24:48,843 --> 00:24:50,428 and they still ran out of bags, 394 00:24:50,428 --> 00:24:52,513 so, we'd have to use like pillow cases. 395 00:24:52,513 --> 00:24:53,514 [Mariana] I contacted 396 00:24:53,514 --> 00:24:54,599 several Vegas casinos 397 00:24:54,599 --> 00:24:56,309 about Mikki's claims, 398 00:24:56,309 --> 00:24:59,812 but they told me they refuse to comment on a guest's status. 399 00:24:59,812 --> 00:25:03,399 [Mikki] As the last few casinos started banning me, I said, 400 00:25:03,399 --> 00:25:04,776 "I can't gamble in Vegas anymore. 401 00:25:04,776 --> 00:25:06,152 What else can I do?" 402 00:25:06,152 --> 00:25:07,403 And I have a lot of friends 403 00:25:07,403 --> 00:25:09,405 that I know play in these private poker games. 404 00:25:09,405 --> 00:25:12,533 And I went and like was immediately like just enthralled 405 00:25:12,533 --> 00:25:14,076 with the environment. 406 00:25:14,076 --> 00:25:16,829 ♪ ♪ 407 00:25:16,829 --> 00:25:22,084 Something that movies haven't even depicted accurately. 408 00:25:22,084 --> 00:25:24,796 Maybe one day a week consistently I'd play 409 00:25:24,796 --> 00:25:28,508 and I'll throw in like a second or third game sporadically, 410 00:25:28,508 --> 00:25:29,884 but I will also just stop by 411 00:25:29,884 --> 00:25:31,803 because I like the free food and the women. 412 00:25:31,803 --> 00:25:34,222 [Mariana] [laughing] Who doesn't? 413 00:25:34,222 --> 00:25:35,098 [Mikki] Yeah. 414 00:25:38,309 --> 00:25:40,645 In the super high stakes games, 415 00:25:40,645 --> 00:25:43,523 you'll rarely have like a physical threat. 416 00:25:43,523 --> 00:25:44,482 [gun cocks] 417 00:25:44,482 --> 00:25:46,025 But in the lower level games, 418 00:25:46,025 --> 00:25:50,154 people have been shot and stabbed during the game. 419 00:25:50,154 --> 00:25:53,491 There's a lot of gangbangers and drug dealers and pimps, 420 00:25:53,491 --> 00:25:54,992 and those kind of guys, 421 00:25:54,992 --> 00:25:57,703 there's really no telling what some of them will do. 422 00:25:57,703 --> 00:25:59,914 [Mariana] Tonight Mikki has promised to get me 423 00:25:59,914 --> 00:26:04,377 inside one of these invite-only events. 424 00:26:04,377 --> 00:26:06,087 It's a game that hosts a mix 425 00:26:06,087 --> 00:26:09,215 of poker pros and white-collar professionals, 426 00:26:09,215 --> 00:26:12,134 but also gang members and cartel associates. 427 00:26:15,763 --> 00:26:18,766 The meeting point is inside a high-end apartment building 428 00:26:18,766 --> 00:26:19,809 in Downtown LA. 429 00:26:19,809 --> 00:26:24,522 ♪ ♪ 430 00:26:24,522 --> 00:26:26,858 He's right there. 431 00:26:26,858 --> 00:26:28,526 So if I'm doing a story about illegal gambling, 432 00:26:28,526 --> 00:26:31,946 this is definitely the right place to be? 433 00:26:31,946 --> 00:26:36,158 [Mikki] I would say LA is the mecca of illegal gambling. 434 00:26:36,158 --> 00:26:41,247 ♪ ♪ 435 00:26:41,247 --> 00:26:42,874 [Mariana] Hi, how are you? Mariana. 436 00:26:42,874 --> 00:26:47,670 ♪ ♪ 437 00:26:47,670 --> 00:26:49,922 From the moment I enter the penthouse apartment, 438 00:26:49,922 --> 00:26:54,260 it's clear that this is not your typical casino. 439 00:26:54,260 --> 00:26:57,180 About 20 male players, including Mikki, 440 00:26:57,180 --> 00:26:59,807 are seated around three poker tables, 441 00:26:59,807 --> 00:27:02,602 while 10 scantily clad poker girls, 442 00:27:02,602 --> 00:27:06,105 as they're called, service their so-called "needs." 443 00:27:06,105 --> 00:27:08,232 And what are the girls doing? What's their job there? 444 00:27:08,232 --> 00:27:11,861 [Mikki] Well, their job title is like server and massage girl. 445 00:27:11,861 --> 00:27:13,905 A lot of the women know their tips are better 446 00:27:13,905 --> 00:27:15,239 with the less clothes they wear 447 00:27:15,239 --> 00:27:17,366 and the more action they take in the backroom. 448 00:27:17,366 --> 00:27:19,285 [Mariana] Which means sometimes sex? 449 00:27:19,285 --> 00:27:20,870 [Mikki] Sure. 450 00:27:20,870 --> 00:27:23,915 [Mariana] Unfortunately, we're inside for maybe five minutes 451 00:27:23,915 --> 00:27:26,792 when I'm told our cameras aren't welcome after all. 452 00:27:29,003 --> 00:27:30,379 Okay. Yeah? 453 00:27:30,379 --> 00:27:32,548 They've ushered us into the bathroom. 454 00:27:32,548 --> 00:27:35,009 I think it's one of the most frustrating moments for us 455 00:27:35,009 --> 00:27:36,344 just to be so close to the action 456 00:27:36,344 --> 00:27:39,847 and yet not being able to actually see it. 457 00:27:39,847 --> 00:27:42,099 Luckily, I convince one of the poker girls 458 00:27:42,099 --> 00:27:44,894 to take a break and join me. 459 00:27:44,894 --> 00:27:46,479 When you first entered this world, 460 00:27:46,479 --> 00:27:47,897 was it shocking to you to find out? 461 00:27:47,897 --> 00:27:49,148 [Poker Girl] Yeah. 462 00:27:49,148 --> 00:27:51,651 I mean, given I came from like a lower income family, 463 00:27:51,651 --> 00:27:54,570 it's so crazy to see people gamble with money 464 00:27:54,570 --> 00:27:56,989 that's worth more than my parents' house. 465 00:27:56,989 --> 00:27:59,033 [Mariana] So how much money, more or less, 466 00:27:59,033 --> 00:28:00,826 do you make on a good night? 467 00:28:02,495 --> 00:28:03,788 [Poker Girl] On a good night 468 00:28:03,788 --> 00:28:08,834 I can make anywhere from like 2,000 to 2,500. 469 00:28:08,834 --> 00:28:11,212 The most I've made in a night is 5,000. 470 00:28:11,212 --> 00:28:12,213 [Mariana] That's pretty good money. 471 00:28:12,213 --> 00:28:13,673 -Yeah. -Yeah. 472 00:28:13,673 --> 00:28:15,841 Pretty good is an understatement. 473 00:28:15,841 --> 00:28:19,887 She says she pulls in roughly $40,000 a month, 474 00:28:19,887 --> 00:28:21,806 all of it made through tips, 475 00:28:21,806 --> 00:28:25,726 so it's off the books and presumably tax-free. 476 00:28:25,726 --> 00:28:29,689 [Poker Girl] I've never done anything extra in these games. 477 00:28:29,689 --> 00:28:30,898 [Mariana] Does that happen? 478 00:28:30,898 --> 00:28:33,150 [Poker Girl] Girls are full service, for sure. 479 00:28:33,150 --> 00:28:34,902 110%. 480 00:28:34,902 --> 00:28:37,279 Players know the girls that are, 481 00:28:37,279 --> 00:28:40,574 so you kind of get picked less and you kind of get tipped less. 482 00:28:40,574 --> 00:28:42,868 I think it's kind of like what you're willing to do, 483 00:28:42,868 --> 00:28:46,247 I guess, for some money. 484 00:28:46,247 --> 00:28:48,207 [Mariana] But the poker girls aren't the only ones here 485 00:28:48,207 --> 00:28:50,418 trying to earn a living. 486 00:28:50,418 --> 00:28:52,461 And so as a dealer, you make more money 487 00:28:52,461 --> 00:28:56,298 in the underground scene than you do in the regular casino? 488 00:28:56,298 --> 00:28:57,717 [Queen] A lot more. 489 00:28:57,717 --> 00:29:00,594 [Mariana] This is the Queen of Poker, 490 00:29:00,594 --> 00:29:02,596 as she likes to be called. 491 00:29:02,596 --> 00:29:04,682 She's a former Las Vegas dealer 492 00:29:04,682 --> 00:29:07,476 who now pursues more lucrative opportunities 493 00:29:07,476 --> 00:29:10,187 hosting her own illegal poker games. 494 00:29:10,187 --> 00:29:11,897 [Queen] This is my gaming room here. 495 00:29:11,897 --> 00:29:13,774 [Mariana] Whoa, that's a lot of people. 496 00:29:13,774 --> 00:29:15,317 [Queen] Yeah. 497 00:29:15,317 --> 00:29:17,278 [Mariana] I can go play poker with my friends if I want to, 498 00:29:17,278 --> 00:29:19,071 and that's not illegal, right? 499 00:29:19,071 --> 00:29:20,823 So what part of it is illegal? 500 00:29:20,823 --> 00:29:24,744 [Queen] The illegal part is taking the rake. 501 00:29:24,744 --> 00:29:28,831 As the dealer runs the game, that's where the rake is taken, 502 00:29:28,831 --> 00:29:30,916 which is where the money is. 503 00:29:30,916 --> 00:29:32,084 [Mariana] I'm assuming the rake 504 00:29:32,084 --> 00:29:33,711 is, like, a percentage of what is being played? 505 00:29:33,711 --> 00:29:37,131 [Queen] Yeah, it's a percentage. Like at the casino. 506 00:29:37,131 --> 00:29:40,968 [Mariana] But only legal casinos are permitted to take a rake. 507 00:29:40,968 --> 00:29:45,598 Tonight's host will make roughly $80,000. 508 00:29:45,598 --> 00:29:48,225 So they're making a [bleep] ton of money. 509 00:29:48,225 --> 00:29:50,853 [shouting] [bleep] 510 00:29:50,853 --> 00:29:52,730 [bleep] [bleep] 511 00:29:52,730 --> 00:29:55,524 Suddenly we hear yelling from the other room. 512 00:29:56,734 --> 00:29:59,403 [shouting] 513 00:29:59,403 --> 00:30:01,655 [Mariana] [bleep] Okay. 514 00:30:12,583 --> 00:30:16,670 [siren] 515 00:30:20,633 --> 00:30:27,473 ♪ ♪ 516 00:30:35,356 --> 00:30:38,109 [Mariana] I've gained access to my first underground poker game. 517 00:30:45,407 --> 00:30:46,867 [Mariana] But instead of gambling, 518 00:30:46,867 --> 00:30:49,286 one of the players is making threats. 519 00:30:53,374 --> 00:30:55,292 [Mariana] Thankfully the out-of-control gambler 520 00:30:55,292 --> 00:30:58,838 is escorted from the penthouse. 521 00:30:58,838 --> 00:31:00,631 So let's talk about the drama. What happened? 522 00:31:00,631 --> 00:31:02,007 [Mikki] I don't know anything. I don't know. 523 00:31:02,007 --> 00:31:03,300 [Mariana] But there was a gun and there was a knife. 524 00:31:03,300 --> 00:31:04,301 [Mikki] I don't know. 525 00:31:04,301 --> 00:31:05,636 I don't know about a gun and a knife. 526 00:31:05,636 --> 00:31:06,971 I don't know anything. 527 00:31:06,971 --> 00:31:08,430 [Mariana] You mean you don't want to talk about it? 528 00:31:08,430 --> 00:31:10,641 [Mikki] No, there's nothing to talk about, I don't know. 529 00:31:10,641 --> 00:31:11,976 [Mariana] I mean, we all saw it. 530 00:31:11,976 --> 00:31:13,310 [Mikki] Well, I don't, then you can talk about it. 531 00:31:13,310 --> 00:31:14,562 I don't know. 532 00:31:14,562 --> 00:31:15,563 [Mariana] Okay, but that, 533 00:31:15,563 --> 00:31:16,772 has that scared people, do you think? 534 00:31:16,772 --> 00:31:17,982 That's why some people left? 535 00:31:17,982 --> 00:31:20,776 [Mikki] I don't know. 536 00:31:20,776 --> 00:31:21,652 [Mariana] Okay. 537 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:26,031 It seems there's an unofficial code of silence 538 00:31:26,031 --> 00:31:27,867 around these games. 539 00:31:27,867 --> 00:31:29,785 But rumor has it that they were fighting 540 00:31:29,785 --> 00:31:33,664 over a $27,000 gambling debt. 541 00:31:33,664 --> 00:31:37,126 Is it difficult for you to get people to pay what they owe you? 542 00:31:37,126 --> 00:31:39,420 [Queen] Yeah, because people are not carrying 543 00:31:39,420 --> 00:31:41,589 10,000, 20,000 in their pocket. 544 00:31:41,589 --> 00:31:43,132 You know? 545 00:31:43,132 --> 00:31:48,053 So you have to offer a credit or marker to keep a game going 546 00:31:48,053 --> 00:31:52,391 and make a good amount of money that's worth your time. 547 00:31:52,391 --> 00:31:55,144 [Mariana] How much money are you owed, you think? 548 00:31:55,144 --> 00:31:56,687 [Queen] Half a million. 549 00:31:56,687 --> 00:31:58,772 [Mariana] You're owed half a million dollars? 550 00:31:58,772 --> 00:32:00,649 Do you think you'll get any of that money? 551 00:32:00,649 --> 00:32:02,109 [Queen] I'm working on it. 552 00:32:02,109 --> 00:32:04,069 [Mariana] Do you hire a person that can go and tell them? 553 00:32:04,069 --> 00:32:05,362 [Queen] There's collectors. 554 00:32:05,362 --> 00:32:06,739 [Mariana] Mm-hmm. 555 00:32:06,739 --> 00:32:07,990 [Gambler] Tell you what we doing. 556 00:32:07,990 --> 00:32:09,158 [Gambler] Back the [bleep]. What we gonna do? 557 00:32:09,158 --> 00:32:10,284 [Gambler] You don't know. 558 00:32:10,284 --> 00:32:11,619 [Gambler] You don't mother [bleep] know. 559 00:32:11,619 --> 00:32:13,495 [Mariana] This is what law enforcement 560 00:32:13,495 --> 00:32:15,080 is most concerned about. 561 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:18,209 Not just the millions being made off the books, 562 00:32:18,209 --> 00:32:21,212 but the criminal activity associated with these games. 563 00:32:21,212 --> 00:32:23,047 [Newscaster] Illegal gambling now accounts 564 00:32:23,047 --> 00:32:27,426 for half of their murders so far this year. 565 00:32:27,426 --> 00:32:28,719 [Mariana] Have you ever heard of anyone, 566 00:32:28,719 --> 00:32:30,846 people that are contracted to be enforcers? 567 00:32:30,846 --> 00:32:33,015 [Mikki] Yeah, of course. Every day. 568 00:32:33,015 --> 00:32:35,059 [Mariana] Oh, that actually happens pretty often. 569 00:32:35,059 --> 00:32:36,894 [Mikki] Every day. 570 00:32:36,894 --> 00:32:38,979 Let's say you're at a game that's ran by the Russians. 571 00:32:38,979 --> 00:32:40,147 [Mariana] Mm-hmm. 572 00:32:40,147 --> 00:32:41,941 [Mikki] And you rob one of the Russians, 573 00:32:41,941 --> 00:32:44,485 they will bring somebody in from Russia to find you, 574 00:32:44,485 --> 00:32:47,404 collect the money, and then they return to Russia. 575 00:32:47,404 --> 00:32:48,614 [Mariana] Holy [bleep], that actually happens? 576 00:32:48,614 --> 00:32:50,157 [Mikki] Every day. 577 00:32:50,157 --> 00:32:54,119 [engine rumbling] 578 00:32:54,119 --> 00:32:55,329 [tires screech] 579 00:32:55,329 --> 00:33:00,417 [engine revving] 580 00:33:00,417 --> 00:33:02,503 [Mariana] The following evening, 581 00:33:02,503 --> 00:33:06,590 Mikki picks me up in a McLaren GT, 582 00:33:06,590 --> 00:33:09,218 a car with a very Mikki backstory. 583 00:33:11,971 --> 00:33:13,305 [Mikki] I had an argument 584 00:33:13,305 --> 00:33:15,641 with the vice president of one of the casinos. 585 00:33:15,641 --> 00:33:17,601 And so just to show him some attitude, 586 00:33:17,601 --> 00:33:19,770 I told him I was gonna win a million dollars that weekend 587 00:33:19,770 --> 00:33:21,438 and then go buy an exotic car. 588 00:33:21,438 --> 00:33:23,691 [Mariana] And you went back to the hotel and showed him. 589 00:33:23,691 --> 00:33:25,192 [Mikki] I parked it right in front. 590 00:33:25,192 --> 00:33:26,986 [engine revving] 591 00:33:26,986 --> 00:33:30,197 [Mariana] We're heading to a so-called "billionaire's game," 592 00:33:30,197 --> 00:33:33,117 an uber-exclusive poker game that Mikki plays 593 00:33:33,117 --> 00:33:35,202 in Beverly Hills. 594 00:33:35,202 --> 00:33:37,079 So this is a totally different ballgame 595 00:33:37,079 --> 00:33:38,706 from the game we went to the other day, right? 596 00:33:38,706 --> 00:33:43,127 [Mikki] 100%, it's not even, it's, like, not even comparable. 597 00:33:43,127 --> 00:33:44,586 Some people might end up buying in 598 00:33:44,586 --> 00:33:48,090 for maybe two or three million. 599 00:33:48,090 --> 00:33:50,718 [Mariana] Mikki tells me the game regularly hosts 600 00:33:50,718 --> 00:33:55,222 Hollywood A-listers, real estate moguls, oil tycoons, 601 00:33:55,222 --> 00:34:00,144 and even high level members of organized crime. 602 00:34:00,144 --> 00:34:02,980 ♪ ♪ 603 00:34:02,980 --> 00:34:04,106 [Mikki] You'll definitely recognize them, 604 00:34:04,106 --> 00:34:05,941 and it's not impossible that a lot of them 605 00:34:05,941 --> 00:34:08,277 could possibly recognize you. 606 00:34:08,277 --> 00:34:09,862 [Mariana] That's got me a little worried, 607 00:34:09,862 --> 00:34:11,822 because to gain access, 608 00:34:11,822 --> 00:34:15,075 Mikki's told the game runners that I'm his friend. 609 00:34:15,075 --> 00:34:16,785 No one knows that I'm a journalist 610 00:34:16,785 --> 00:34:19,038 investigating black markets. 611 00:34:19,038 --> 00:34:20,497 [Mikki] And there'll be a line of questions: 612 00:34:20,497 --> 00:34:22,958 What's her skill level? How long have you known her? 613 00:34:22,958 --> 00:34:25,127 To get a gauge if you're an appropriate character 614 00:34:25,127 --> 00:34:28,422 to be in our secret environment. 615 00:34:28,422 --> 00:34:29,715 This is our secret world we have. 616 00:34:29,715 --> 00:34:30,799 [Mariana] Mm-hmm. 617 00:34:30,799 --> 00:34:31,800 [Mikki] And so to let an outsider in 618 00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:33,427 is a pretty big deal. 619 00:34:33,427 --> 00:34:36,055 [Mariana] Unfortunately the cameras will not be able 620 00:34:36,055 --> 00:34:37,765 to follow us inside. 621 00:34:41,101 --> 00:34:45,606 ♪ ♪ 622 00:34:45,606 --> 00:34:49,026 Despite all his legal winnings, I have yet to understand 623 00:34:49,026 --> 00:34:53,447 why Mikki prefers to play in private, off-the-books games. 624 00:34:53,447 --> 00:34:55,574 Which is my biggest question about this whole thing 625 00:34:55,574 --> 00:34:57,409 is why are there illegal gambling dens, 626 00:34:57,409 --> 00:35:01,955 if gambling in general is more and more legal 627 00:35:01,955 --> 00:35:03,332 in America, everywhere? 628 00:35:03,332 --> 00:35:04,500 [Mikki] There's a lot of reasons why. 629 00:35:04,500 --> 00:35:05,959 So if we're the ones controlling the game 630 00:35:05,959 --> 00:35:07,544 and we are essentially the casino, 631 00:35:07,544 --> 00:35:10,881 we can not only dictate the rules of the game itself, 632 00:35:10,881 --> 00:35:12,925 but we also get the environment. 633 00:35:12,925 --> 00:35:15,719 ♪ ♪ 634 00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:17,596 You know, a lot of people want to party. 635 00:35:17,596 --> 00:35:20,641 We set up for certain women to be around. 636 00:35:20,641 --> 00:35:22,518 Politicians and movie producers 637 00:35:22,518 --> 00:35:24,770 and actors and hip hop artists and athletes, 638 00:35:24,770 --> 00:35:26,146 they all want a private place 639 00:35:26,146 --> 00:35:28,732 where they can just act however they want to act. 640 00:35:28,732 --> 00:35:32,277 ♪ ♪ 641 00:35:32,277 --> 00:35:35,864 ♪ ♪ 642 00:35:35,864 --> 00:35:39,660 [Mariana] The US is home to roughly 700 billionaires, 643 00:35:39,660 --> 00:35:45,290 and tonight, according to Mikki, I'm looking at a few of them. 644 00:35:45,290 --> 00:35:48,919 I see 10 players seated around a large table. 645 00:35:48,919 --> 00:35:50,254 I can't name names, 646 00:35:50,254 --> 00:35:54,925 but there are some recognizable big shots present. 647 00:35:54,925 --> 00:35:59,680 Mikki says that there's at least $2 million at play. 648 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:03,434 There's a chef serving whatever the player wants. 649 00:36:03,434 --> 00:36:05,769 There's champagne and single malts. 650 00:36:05,769 --> 00:36:06,979 Cigars. 651 00:36:06,979 --> 00:36:08,522 And though I don't see it, 652 00:36:08,522 --> 00:36:12,818 I'm told cocaine is also on the menu. 653 00:36:12,818 --> 00:36:17,948 Behind the players, about 20 seductively dressed women hover. 654 00:36:17,948 --> 00:36:20,325 And Mikki tells me that every once in a while 655 00:36:20,325 --> 00:36:21,910 the player will leave the table 656 00:36:21,910 --> 00:36:26,248 and head to a private room with one of these girls. 657 00:36:26,248 --> 00:36:29,001 And because of the money in play, tonight's host 658 00:36:29,001 --> 00:36:33,005 could be making hundreds of thousands of dollars. 659 00:36:33,005 --> 00:36:35,299 It's not just the rake that brings in money, 660 00:36:35,299 --> 00:36:36,758 it's the tips. 661 00:36:36,758 --> 00:36:39,803 Players tip the bartenders, the bookkeeper; 662 00:36:39,803 --> 00:36:43,599 each one of the girls can earn tens of thousands of dollars, 663 00:36:43,599 --> 00:36:47,352 and the house takes 50% of all of it. 664 00:36:47,352 --> 00:36:49,229 As I try to process this, 665 00:36:49,229 --> 00:36:52,357 one of the poker girls approaches me and says, 666 00:36:52,357 --> 00:36:55,819 "Your face is so familiar. Do I know you?" 667 00:36:55,819 --> 00:36:59,990 ♪ ♪ 668 00:36:59,990 --> 00:37:03,952 ♪ ♪ 669 00:37:04,828 --> 00:37:11,210 ♪ ♪ 670 00:37:11,210 --> 00:37:12,252 [door slams] 671 00:37:12,252 --> 00:37:14,338 Well, that was insane. 672 00:37:14,338 --> 00:37:17,674 Um, yeah, I mean, it was... 673 00:37:17,674 --> 00:37:19,676 I don't even know where to start. 674 00:37:19,676 --> 00:37:22,387 Mikki said that the guy that actually runs this game 675 00:37:22,387 --> 00:37:24,431 went up to him and said, "So she's with you, right?" 676 00:37:24,431 --> 00:37:26,350 And Mikki said, "Yeah, she's with me." 677 00:37:26,350 --> 00:37:28,769 "She looks like a cop. Is she a cop?" 678 00:37:28,769 --> 00:37:30,145 And then that was the moment 679 00:37:30,145 --> 00:37:33,023 that I thought it was a good idea to probably leave. 680 00:37:33,023 --> 00:37:37,152 And to think that these places exist and are all around town, 681 00:37:37,152 --> 00:37:38,779 particularly here in Beverly Hills 682 00:37:38,779 --> 00:37:40,739 surrounded by these mansions. 683 00:37:40,739 --> 00:37:42,241 it's a side of the city that I've never seen 684 00:37:42,241 --> 00:37:43,826 and I didn't think existed. 685 00:37:56,797 --> 00:37:57,965 [Mariana] This morning, 686 00:37:57,965 --> 00:38:00,842 close to 100 sheriff's department officers 687 00:38:00,842 --> 00:38:04,263 prepare to take down seven different targets. 688 00:38:04,263 --> 00:38:06,723 They're all linked to the same gambling operation 689 00:38:06,723 --> 00:38:09,852 Detective Juarez's team was surveilling. 690 00:38:09,852 --> 00:38:12,479 And I'm in the thick of it. 691 00:38:18,151 --> 00:38:24,658 ♪ ♪ 692 00:38:24,658 --> 00:38:30,122 ♪ ♪ 693 00:38:30,122 --> 00:38:32,916 [Mariana] So it's 6:00 a.m., 694 00:38:32,916 --> 00:38:34,710 we're a block away from the target 695 00:38:34,710 --> 00:38:37,045 in a armored vehicle, 696 00:38:37,045 --> 00:38:40,299 part of a convoy of about eight vehicles. 697 00:38:40,299 --> 00:38:43,176 A couple of bulletproof vehicles like this one. 698 00:38:43,176 --> 00:38:46,555 The LA County Sheriff's Department is rolling deep today 699 00:38:46,555 --> 00:38:50,183 because of the violent history of the casinos' security: 700 00:38:50,183 --> 00:38:51,685 the Mexican Mafia. 701 00:38:54,938 --> 00:38:57,232 You see them? They're going over the fence here. 702 00:38:57,232 --> 00:39:04,031 ♪ ♪ 703 00:39:04,031 --> 00:39:05,824 [glass breaking] 704 00:39:05,824 --> 00:39:06,908 [dog barking] 705 00:39:06,908 --> 00:39:08,535 So they just broke through the window 706 00:39:08,535 --> 00:39:11,663 and are going through. 707 00:39:11,663 --> 00:39:12,706 [bark] 708 00:39:12,706 --> 00:39:14,374 ♪ ♪ 709 00:39:14,374 --> 00:39:15,584 Oh, look. 710 00:39:15,584 --> 00:39:18,879 They just brought somebody out of the house. 711 00:39:18,879 --> 00:39:22,549 The detainees are a mix of Asians and Hispanics, 712 00:39:22,549 --> 00:39:25,636 but it's unclear to me which ones are the players 713 00:39:25,636 --> 00:39:27,846 versus the casino operators. 714 00:39:27,846 --> 00:39:31,350 They're arresting, I think, the ninth person right now. 715 00:39:31,350 --> 00:39:33,310 So 10 people believed to be in the house. 716 00:39:33,310 --> 00:39:35,812 Two of them apparently fled, one of them was caught, 717 00:39:35,812 --> 00:39:38,231 and the other one is still on the loose. 718 00:39:38,231 --> 00:39:39,274 ♪ ♪ 719 00:39:39,274 --> 00:39:42,402 [engine rumbling] 720 00:39:42,402 --> 00:39:45,572 ♪ ♪ 721 00:39:45,572 --> 00:39:49,576 While it's never been easier to legally gamble in America, 722 00:39:49,576 --> 00:39:53,872 the 10 people here are so desperate to scratch that itch, 723 00:39:53,872 --> 00:39:56,166 they're playing at an illegal casino 724 00:39:56,166 --> 00:40:00,212 at 6:00 a.m. on a weekday morning. 725 00:40:00,212 --> 00:40:01,630 It's a frightening reminder 726 00:40:01,630 --> 00:40:05,467 that compulsive gambling is called "the hidden addiction" 727 00:40:05,467 --> 00:40:07,719 because, unlike drugs and alcohol, 728 00:40:07,719 --> 00:40:10,097 there are no physical signs. 729 00:40:10,097 --> 00:40:12,474 [Michael] In the last year I gambled, 730 00:40:12,474 --> 00:40:17,938 I went through over $1 million of clients' money. 731 00:40:17,938 --> 00:40:22,109 And when I did that, I swore to God 732 00:40:22,109 --> 00:40:25,487 that I was gonna pay that money back. 733 00:40:25,487 --> 00:40:28,699 [Mariana] Perhaps because of the secrecy and shame, 734 00:40:28,699 --> 00:40:31,702 compulsive gambling has the highest suicide rates 735 00:40:31,702 --> 00:40:33,787 of all addictions. 736 00:40:33,787 --> 00:40:39,543 [Michael] I remember the night that I went down to the office, 737 00:40:39,543 --> 00:40:44,923 I had a client's gun, and I took that gun out of the cupboard 738 00:40:44,923 --> 00:40:48,760 and I was going to end my life. 739 00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:54,474 [Woman] [sighs] I remember, um... mm... 740 00:40:54,474 --> 00:40:57,185 calling the suicide hotline 741 00:40:57,185 --> 00:41:01,481 and I wanted to kill myself, I really did. 742 00:41:01,481 --> 00:41:02,858 [phone ringing] 743 00:41:02,858 --> 00:41:04,860 The phone rang... 744 00:41:04,860 --> 00:41:06,737 and it rang and it rang. 745 00:41:06,737 --> 00:41:08,196 [ringing] 746 00:41:08,196 --> 00:41:10,782 And I said, "God, if you help me, 747 00:41:10,782 --> 00:41:14,703 if you help me, I will do what's right." 748 00:41:14,703 --> 00:41:16,288 [Mariana] These two recovering addicts 749 00:41:16,288 --> 00:41:18,874 never gambled at an illegal casino. 750 00:41:18,874 --> 00:41:21,293 They didn't have to. 751 00:41:21,293 --> 00:41:25,672 It turns out America's most destructive gambling market 752 00:41:25,672 --> 00:41:28,341 may not be the one I've been following, 753 00:41:28,341 --> 00:41:31,136 the one that's happening in the shadows. 754 00:41:31,136 --> 00:41:33,013 It's the one that announces itself 755 00:41:33,013 --> 00:41:35,640 with bold, flashing lights. 756 00:41:35,640 --> 00:41:36,808 [Les Bernal] Predatory gambling 757 00:41:36,808 --> 00:41:39,936 is America's most neglected major problem. 758 00:41:39,936 --> 00:41:42,689 Right now you have advertising and marketing 759 00:41:42,689 --> 00:41:44,399 encouraging citizens to do this. 760 00:41:44,399 --> 00:41:46,193 [Gambler] Blackjack! Blackjack! 761 00:41:46,193 --> 00:41:47,861 [Les] Just to participate in a business 762 00:41:47,861 --> 00:41:51,406 that ultimately is gonna get them fleeced. 763 00:41:51,406 --> 00:41:53,074 [Mariana] Les Bernal is the director 764 00:41:53,074 --> 00:41:55,285 of Stop Predatory Gambling, 765 00:41:55,285 --> 00:41:56,995 a national advocacy network 766 00:41:56,995 --> 00:41:58,955 committed to exposing the truth 767 00:41:58,955 --> 00:42:01,208 about America's state-sanctioned gambling. 768 00:42:01,208 --> 00:42:03,126 [Les] This is a public policy 769 00:42:03,126 --> 00:42:06,838 that's based on cheating and exploiting citizens. 770 00:42:06,838 --> 00:42:09,925 This financial exchange is a lure that you might win money. 771 00:42:09,925 --> 00:42:11,051 All right? 772 00:42:11,051 --> 00:42:12,719 But it's mathematically stacked against you, 773 00:42:12,719 --> 00:42:14,638 so the longer you participate in it, 774 00:42:14,638 --> 00:42:16,431 the more money you spend in it, 775 00:42:16,431 --> 00:42:18,517 in the long term, it's not a question 776 00:42:18,517 --> 00:42:20,560 of if you're gonna end up losing all of your money; 777 00:42:20,560 --> 00:42:22,145 it's an absolute certainty 778 00:42:22,145 --> 00:42:23,730 you're gonna lose all your money. 779 00:42:23,730 --> 00:42:25,607 [Mariana] And while I've been trying to understand 780 00:42:25,607 --> 00:42:28,401 why the black market even exists, 781 00:42:28,401 --> 00:42:32,614 Les claims the answer is quite simple. 782 00:42:32,614 --> 00:42:36,243 [Les] You wouldn't have the massive amount 783 00:42:36,243 --> 00:42:38,787 of illegal gambling happening today 784 00:42:38,787 --> 00:42:42,833 if it wasn't for state-sanctioned gambling. 785 00:42:42,833 --> 00:42:44,334 It's normalized gambling. 786 00:42:46,837 --> 00:42:49,089 If you ask anybody in the illegal gambling business, 787 00:42:49,089 --> 00:42:53,260 "Hey, is it a good thing that states are promoting gambling?" 788 00:42:53,260 --> 00:42:55,554 to a person, every single one of them 789 00:42:55,554 --> 00:42:58,765 would say, "Absolutely, it's great for business." 790 00:42:58,765 --> 00:42:59,975 [Mariana] According to Les, 791 00:42:59,975 --> 00:43:02,435 the biggest difference between these markets 792 00:43:02,435 --> 00:43:06,940 is that one of them receives the blessing of state officials. 793 00:43:06,940 --> 00:43:08,483 [Les] We sell $100 scratch tickets 794 00:43:08,483 --> 00:43:10,819 to people making $7.25 an hour. 795 00:43:10,819 --> 00:43:12,279 That's a government program. 796 00:43:12,279 --> 00:43:14,281 They're encouraging people to play a product 797 00:43:14,281 --> 00:43:16,575 that has been identified as addictive 798 00:43:16,575 --> 00:43:19,327 as opioids and cocaine. 799 00:43:19,327 --> 00:43:24,499 The business model is based on turning citizens into addicts. 800 00:43:24,499 --> 00:43:26,084 [Mariana] But while the US government 801 00:43:26,084 --> 00:43:29,087 spends more than $1 billion each year 802 00:43:29,087 --> 00:43:32,340 on treatments for drug and alcohol abuse, 803 00:43:32,340 --> 00:43:35,427 there's not a single cent of federal funding 804 00:43:35,427 --> 00:43:38,930 spent on America's growing gambling addiction. 805 00:43:41,725 --> 00:43:45,353 ♪ ♪ 806 00:43:45,353 --> 00:43:47,272 [Michael] I had my first big win 807 00:43:47,272 --> 00:43:52,360 at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas, 808 00:43:52,360 --> 00:43:56,448 and it's absolutely the worst thing that can happen to you.