1 00:00:03,754 --> 00:00:09,218 I had my first big win at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas. 2 00:00:14,765 --> 00:00:17,434 God came down and said, "Michael, 3 00:00:17,434 --> 00:00:20,520 the answer to all of your financial problems 4 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:21,480 are the slots." 5 00:00:25,192 --> 00:00:27,152 And as I'm sitting there, all of a sudden... 6 00:00:29,112 --> 00:00:30,822 ...bells start going off. 7 00:00:30,822 --> 00:00:33,283 I had hit the jackpot. 8 00:00:33,283 --> 00:00:35,369 I won $100,000. 9 00:00:38,747 --> 00:00:44,378 And that feeling was just one of complete bliss. 10 00:00:44,378 --> 00:00:47,798 People would come by and touch me. 11 00:00:47,798 --> 00:00:51,969 From that day on, I was known as Mr. Lucky. 12 00:00:51,969 --> 00:00:54,429 They call it "the big win." 13 00:00:54,429 --> 00:00:59,101 The potent rush of money won versus money earned. 14 00:00:59,101 --> 00:01:01,728 And gamblers have been chasing it for generations. 15 00:01:03,146 --> 00:01:04,564 Yes! 16 00:01:04,564 --> 00:01:07,150 Even Hollywood has played into this fantasy. 17 00:01:07,150 --> 00:01:08,443 I'll raise you 2,000. 18 00:01:08,443 --> 00:01:10,862 Kinda high stakes for you, no? 19 00:01:10,862 --> 00:01:13,240 America's legal gambling industry rakes in 20 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,660 over $200 billion a year, 21 00:01:16,660 --> 00:01:19,246 but for some bookies and bettors, 22 00:01:19,246 --> 00:01:21,248 it's not enough. 23 00:01:21,248 --> 00:01:23,417 I'm competitive and I like to win. 24 00:01:23,417 --> 00:01:24,459 In gambling, it's really clear 25 00:01:24,459 --> 00:01:26,837 whether you're a winner or you're a loser. 26 00:01:26,837 --> 00:01:28,505 Black market games and casinos 27 00:01:28,505 --> 00:01:31,049 are popping up all over the country. 28 00:01:31,049 --> 00:01:33,385 A lot of celebrities, a lot of politicians, 29 00:01:33,385 --> 00:01:34,886 and they all want a private place 30 00:01:34,886 --> 00:01:37,764 where they can just act however they want to act. 31 00:01:37,764 --> 00:01:40,100 Where fortunes are being lost and won... 32 00:01:42,185 --> 00:01:43,437 You're right. 33 00:01:43,437 --> 00:01:45,564 ...off the books and in the shadows. 34 00:02:47,626 --> 00:02:48,835 Yeah. It's quite interesting 35 00:02:48,835 --> 00:02:50,796 that we have to call you all the way from Mexico. 36 00:02:50,796 --> 00:02:53,173 Mexican journalist Miguel Angel Vega 37 00:02:53,173 --> 00:02:56,259 is an old friend and colleague who's helped me gain access 38 00:02:56,259 --> 00:03:00,263 to many criminal operators throughout my career. 39 00:03:00,263 --> 00:03:03,016 Tonight, 300 miles from Los Angeles, 40 00:03:03,016 --> 00:03:05,394 we're due to meet a cartel associate 41 00:03:05,394 --> 00:03:08,230 who's rumored to host an illegal poker game. 42 00:03:08,230 --> 00:03:09,773 What's his connection to the cartel? 43 00:03:43,807 --> 00:03:45,392 Well, thank you. 44 00:03:45,392 --> 00:03:47,644 He tells me to call him Tony. 45 00:03:47,644 --> 00:03:50,397 Originally from Los Angeles, he now lives here 46 00:03:50,397 --> 00:03:53,233 in an undisclosed part of Northern California. 47 00:04:22,512 --> 00:04:25,974 Before the game begins, 48 00:04:25,974 --> 00:04:28,101 all of the players must disarm. 49 00:04:34,566 --> 00:04:35,859 Play some games. 50 00:04:35,859 --> 00:04:37,319 Despite Tony's admission 51 00:04:37,319 --> 00:04:38,862 that his clients are a mix 52 00:04:38,862 --> 00:04:42,699 of ex-cons, cartel associates, and possibly contract killers... 53 00:04:42,699 --> 00:04:43,992 Oh, wow. You guys start strong, huh? 54 00:04:43,992 --> 00:04:45,452 [bleep] it. 55 00:04:45,452 --> 00:04:48,288 ...tonight's stakes aren't particularly high, 56 00:04:48,288 --> 00:04:50,081 just a few thousand bucks. 57 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:53,001 How much money did you make? 58 00:05:01,051 --> 00:05:02,177 So are you seeing more 59 00:05:02,177 --> 00:05:04,262 of these underground games happening? 60 00:05:21,154 --> 00:05:23,573 The players tell me there are thousands 61 00:05:23,573 --> 00:05:26,576 of unlicensed casinos and underworld card games 62 00:05:26,576 --> 00:05:29,704 taking place in every city across the country. 63 00:05:29,704 --> 00:05:31,039 Have you ever been 64 00:05:31,039 --> 00:05:33,625 to any of those high-rolling illegal poker nights? 65 00:05:38,505 --> 00:05:39,381 Yeah. 66 00:06:00,735 --> 00:06:01,695 Oh, my God. 67 00:06:06,908 --> 00:06:09,452 For years I've opened these doors 68 00:06:09,452 --> 00:06:11,746 and gained access to all manner of black markets. 69 00:06:13,164 --> 00:06:16,334 But these markets typically offer products or services 70 00:06:16,334 --> 00:06:18,795 that are outlawed. 71 00:06:18,795 --> 00:06:22,716 And that's what makes Tony's story so mysterious. 72 00:06:22,716 --> 00:06:24,509 Why is the underground gambling scene 73 00:06:24,509 --> 00:06:26,595 booming in the United States 74 00:06:26,595 --> 00:06:29,681 when a legal market already exists? 75 00:06:29,681 --> 00:06:33,351 I want to find out who's running these black market games 76 00:06:33,351 --> 00:06:35,395 and what the attraction is. 77 00:07:20,190 --> 00:07:22,025 Oh, yeah. 78 00:07:22,025 --> 00:07:23,860 There's more people coming. 79 00:07:30,325 --> 00:07:33,161 I'm riding shotgun tonight with Detective Juarez 80 00:07:33,161 --> 00:07:36,498 of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. 81 00:07:36,498 --> 00:07:37,916 His team is conducting surveillance 82 00:07:37,916 --> 00:07:39,084 on a criminal network 83 00:07:39,084 --> 00:07:42,629 that operates multiple underworld casinos. 84 00:07:42,629 --> 00:07:43,797 So this is a big player 85 00:07:43,797 --> 00:07:45,674 that you guys have been tracking for a while 86 00:07:45,674 --> 00:07:48,385 that runs, you think, more than one illegal casino? 87 00:07:50,595 --> 00:07:52,639 And what can you tell me about this person? 88 00:08:13,660 --> 00:08:17,163 How many of these illegal casinos 89 00:08:17,163 --> 00:08:19,457 do you think exist in LA County? 90 00:08:24,212 --> 00:08:25,088 Wow. 91 00:08:26,881 --> 00:08:29,384 You're looking at security tape of SWAT officers 92 00:08:29,384 --> 00:08:32,470 serving a search warrant on an illegal gambling house 93 00:08:32,470 --> 00:08:34,597 inside an Anaheim furniture store. 94 00:08:34,597 --> 00:08:35,932 Dozens of people are busted 95 00:08:35,932 --> 00:08:38,727 in an alleged illegal gambling raid. 96 00:08:38,727 --> 00:08:40,520 Unregulated popup casinos 97 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:42,564 have been magnets for criminal activity. 98 00:08:42,564 --> 00:08:44,149 Sheriff's deputies are investigating 99 00:08:44,149 --> 00:08:45,400 the shooting death of a man 100 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,111 inside an illegal gambling establishment. 101 00:08:48,111 --> 00:08:50,405 A Brooklyn shootout that killed four people 102 00:08:50,405 --> 00:08:53,324 inside an illegal gambling club. 103 00:08:53,324 --> 00:08:56,161 Tonight's target is a type of illegal casino 104 00:08:56,161 --> 00:08:57,746 called a casita. 105 00:08:57,746 --> 00:09:00,206 Spanish for "little house." 106 00:09:00,206 --> 00:09:02,125 Casita profits aren't solely driven 107 00:09:02,125 --> 00:09:04,085 by old-fashioned card games 108 00:09:04,085 --> 00:09:07,255 but an upgrade in electronic gaming. 109 00:09:11,551 --> 00:09:12,761 Okay. Stand by. 110 00:09:17,056 --> 00:09:22,854 The team spots one of the ringleaders, a woman, 111 00:09:22,854 --> 00:09:24,564 and decides to pursue her. 112 00:09:27,192 --> 00:09:28,318 Copy. 113 00:09:43,666 --> 00:09:45,627 Detective Juarez hopes this woman 114 00:09:45,627 --> 00:09:50,298 is going to lead his team to more casino locations. 115 00:09:50,298 --> 00:09:54,552 And if they're lucky, they'll take down the entire operation. 116 00:10:16,574 --> 00:10:18,451 The LA County Sheriff's Department 117 00:10:18,451 --> 00:10:20,161 is in pursuit of a woman 118 00:10:20,161 --> 00:10:23,373 suspected of running multiple underworld casinos. 119 00:10:57,574 --> 00:11:01,536 Detective Juarez lets the suspect get away for now. 120 00:11:01,536 --> 00:11:04,747 But nothing I witnessed tonight surprises me. 121 00:11:09,127 --> 00:11:12,672 Criminals and casinos have always gone hand in hand, 122 00:11:12,672 --> 00:11:16,092 perhaps most famously when a mobster named Bugsy Siegel 123 00:11:16,092 --> 00:11:19,053 helped build a city dedicated to gambling: 124 00:11:19,053 --> 00:11:20,513 Las Vegas, Nevada. 125 00:11:20,513 --> 00:11:24,767 ♪ I'm in love with a girl that I think is so fine ♪ 126 00:11:24,767 --> 00:11:29,063 Nevada was the first US state to legalize gambling. 127 00:11:29,063 --> 00:11:32,192 But, over time, Las Vegas cleaned up its act. 128 00:11:32,192 --> 00:11:34,777 They kicked out the mob. 129 00:11:34,777 --> 00:11:37,655 Then the corporations took over. 130 00:11:37,655 --> 00:11:42,202 Today, some form of gambling is legal in almost every state. 131 00:11:44,829 --> 00:11:48,958 And yet the underworld continues to take a piece of the action. 132 00:11:51,669 --> 00:11:55,173 I want to know how it works, from the street-level games 133 00:11:55,173 --> 00:11:58,468 to the high roller events I heard about. 134 00:11:58,468 --> 00:12:01,638 But first, I need to find my way inside the scene. 135 00:12:03,181 --> 00:12:04,057 Hey, El. How are you doing? 136 00:12:07,226 --> 00:12:10,521 I'm about like five minutes from you now. 137 00:12:10,521 --> 00:12:13,399 We're close to South LA here. 138 00:12:13,399 --> 00:12:15,151 I'm going to meet a person, 139 00:12:15,151 --> 00:12:17,111 a contact that has some connections 140 00:12:17,111 --> 00:12:21,658 that run some of these operations. 141 00:12:21,658 --> 00:12:22,742 I think he might be here. 142 00:12:31,125 --> 00:12:32,460 So how does this game work? 143 00:12:32,460 --> 00:12:34,128 It's just the typical rules of craps. 144 00:12:34,128 --> 00:12:36,923 You know, 7, 11, snake eyes. 145 00:12:36,923 --> 00:12:38,716 Your money has to be on the floor 146 00:12:38,716 --> 00:12:39,884 for the bet to be good, yeah. 147 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:50,144 Ooh! 148 00:12:50,144 --> 00:12:51,604 Another one of you... 149 00:12:51,604 --> 00:12:52,939 Have you seen like more 150 00:12:52,939 --> 00:12:55,942 of these underground gambling facilities pop up? 151 00:12:55,942 --> 00:12:59,070 I would most definitely say that. 152 00:12:59,070 --> 00:13:02,323 Do you think we'd be able to get access to one? 153 00:13:02,323 --> 00:13:04,409 Those things are like more hush-hush. 154 00:13:04,409 --> 00:13:06,077 If you want to tap in to certain stuff, 155 00:13:06,077 --> 00:13:07,662 there's a way to tap in. 156 00:13:07,662 --> 00:13:10,540 I have no doubt he's right, but at the moment, 157 00:13:10,540 --> 00:13:13,376 I'm definitely not tapped in to the right people. 158 00:13:13,376 --> 00:13:17,213 So I reach out to my underworld contacts across the country. 159 00:13:27,557 --> 00:13:28,683 Hey. Hi. 160 00:13:32,395 --> 00:13:34,272 They still, they're expecting us? 161 00:13:41,487 --> 00:13:42,947 I got the hood pass. Okay. 162 00:13:49,037 --> 00:13:50,413 It's becoming clear to me 163 00:13:50,413 --> 00:13:52,457 that the gambling underworld isn't controlled 164 00:13:52,457 --> 00:13:55,376 by a single criminal network. 165 00:13:55,376 --> 00:13:56,544 What's this game called? 166 00:13:56,544 --> 00:13:58,546 Four-five-six is the name of the game. 167 00:13:58,546 --> 00:14:00,631 Cee-lo. 168 00:14:00,631 --> 00:14:02,550 But just like the old casinos, 169 00:14:02,550 --> 00:14:05,595 gangsters are often the gatekeepers. 170 00:14:14,395 --> 00:14:16,022 So are these, a lot of these places 171 00:14:16,022 --> 00:14:18,232 controlled by gangs? 172 00:14:18,232 --> 00:14:21,194 Is there a lot of gang affiliation? 173 00:14:21,194 --> 00:14:22,070 You're looking at me... 174 00:14:23,738 --> 00:14:24,989 ...with intimidating eyes. 175 00:14:28,201 --> 00:14:30,078 Oh, I can see your eyes. 176 00:14:30,078 --> 00:14:34,373 The owner of this establishment tells me to call him Ray Ray 177 00:14:34,373 --> 00:14:37,710 and says he's a college graduate with a business degree. 178 00:14:37,710 --> 00:14:40,046 But he manages several dice games 179 00:14:40,046 --> 00:14:43,633 because, quite simply, they make a ton of money. 180 00:14:43,633 --> 00:14:45,676 Do people have to pay to come in here and play? 181 00:14:52,225 --> 00:14:54,185 So if there are so many legal options, 182 00:14:54,185 --> 00:14:55,311 places to go gamble, 183 00:14:55,311 --> 00:14:56,938 why do you think people prefer to come here? 184 00:15:14,580 --> 00:15:15,790 So is it, is it dangerous? 185 00:15:15,790 --> 00:15:16,791 Is it a dangerous business? 186 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:31,597 Ray Ray tells me this is the reason 187 00:15:31,597 --> 00:15:35,017 why casino security is so tight. 188 00:15:35,017 --> 00:15:36,978 In LA, a lot of gambling facilities 189 00:15:36,978 --> 00:15:39,981 have to pay the Mexican Mafia to be able to operate there. 190 00:15:41,149 --> 00:15:42,233 Yeah. 191 00:15:42,233 --> 00:15:44,152 So, is there something similar here? 192 00:15:44,152 --> 00:15:45,486 Do you have to pay anyone? 193 00:15:53,995 --> 00:15:54,871 Got it. 194 00:15:58,791 --> 00:16:02,587 He refuses to tell me much more about his operation. 195 00:16:02,587 --> 00:16:05,089 But another one of my trusted Los Angeles sources 196 00:16:05,089 --> 00:16:05,965 comes through. 197 00:16:16,350 --> 00:16:18,394 We're meeting, um, a contact of mine 198 00:16:18,394 --> 00:16:21,606 that I've had here for, for many years now. 199 00:16:21,606 --> 00:16:24,025 He's an ex-convict. 200 00:16:24,025 --> 00:16:27,361 He's sort of linked to the Mexican Mafia. 201 00:16:27,361 --> 00:16:29,030 Gang member. 202 00:16:29,030 --> 00:16:31,324 This contact claims he can get me inside 203 00:16:31,324 --> 00:16:34,744 one of the underworld casinos, the casitas, 204 00:16:34,744 --> 00:16:37,288 that I've been hearing so much about. 205 00:16:37,288 --> 00:16:39,415 And it's kind of amazing just how hard it's been 206 00:16:39,415 --> 00:16:42,126 for us to get access to these casitas. 207 00:16:42,126 --> 00:16:43,753 But finally, tonight, 208 00:16:43,753 --> 00:16:46,589 it looks like something is going to happen. 209 00:17:15,785 --> 00:17:19,705 For weeks, I've been crisscrossing the country, 210 00:17:19,705 --> 00:17:21,874 searching for someone 211 00:17:21,874 --> 00:17:25,795 who can get me inside an invite-only illegal casino. 212 00:17:30,591 --> 00:17:33,052 And tonight, one of my sources, 213 00:17:33,052 --> 00:17:36,597 an ex-con with links to the Mexican Mafia, 214 00:17:36,597 --> 00:17:39,767 finally comes through. 215 00:17:39,767 --> 00:17:41,269 Hey, [bleep]. 216 00:17:41,269 --> 00:17:42,853 How are you doing? 217 00:18:09,213 --> 00:18:10,590 Do you say "welcome to Vegas" 218 00:18:10,590 --> 00:18:12,383 to everybody that walks in, or just me? 219 00:18:19,974 --> 00:18:21,934 The owner of this underground casino 220 00:18:21,934 --> 00:18:24,395 tells me to call him B. 221 00:18:24,395 --> 00:18:27,606 He says he owns three locations like this one, 222 00:18:27,606 --> 00:18:31,569 open 24 hours a day to keep up with demand. 223 00:18:31,569 --> 00:18:33,279 So this place, if we weren't here... 224 00:18:39,785 --> 00:18:41,954 This machine is called a fish game... 225 00:18:43,497 --> 00:18:47,752 ...and it's the main attraction at many of these casitas. 226 00:18:47,752 --> 00:18:51,839 Casinos like this are also called slap-houses 227 00:18:51,839 --> 00:18:53,424 for obvious reasons. 228 00:18:53,424 --> 00:18:54,717 I can't go as fast as you can. 229 00:18:54,717 --> 00:18:56,260 That's insane. 230 00:18:56,260 --> 00:18:59,138 God, my hands are hurting already. 231 00:18:59,138 --> 00:19:01,474 These fish games are simple to play 232 00:19:01,474 --> 00:19:04,644 and are programmed to deliver a jackpot 233 00:19:04,644 --> 00:19:06,937 when enough money has been paid into the machine. 234 00:19:16,947 --> 00:19:17,865 Really? 235 00:19:20,409 --> 00:19:22,536 Wow. 236 00:19:22,536 --> 00:19:23,996 Kind of cheating a little bit, no? 237 00:19:27,625 --> 00:19:28,793 When you didn't have these businesses, 238 00:19:28,793 --> 00:19:30,002 what were you doing? 239 00:19:32,129 --> 00:19:33,255 How much money are you making here 240 00:19:33,255 --> 00:19:35,299 compared, how do you compare it to meth? 241 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:39,220 You're making much more money now? 242 00:19:39,220 --> 00:19:40,137 Like what? Double? 243 00:19:42,223 --> 00:19:46,727 B claims he's making about $240,000 a month 244 00:19:46,727 --> 00:19:48,688 from his three casitas. 245 00:19:48,688 --> 00:19:50,815 So this is way more profitable? 246 00:19:50,815 --> 00:19:51,732 Why is that? 247 00:20:05,121 --> 00:20:09,417 I was gambling every day, 248 00:20:09,417 --> 00:20:11,043 morning, noon, and night, 249 00:20:11,043 --> 00:20:15,756 before work, after work, even at work. 250 00:20:17,842 --> 00:20:23,973 The casino noise, it drowns out your life. 251 00:20:23,973 --> 00:20:28,310 The bang, zoom, the lights, 252 00:20:28,310 --> 00:20:31,188 it drowns out everything that you need to hear. 253 00:20:32,982 --> 00:20:35,526 And I couldn't stop. 254 00:20:35,526 --> 00:20:36,944 I could not stop. 255 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:42,575 Scientists now know that gambling affects the brain 256 00:20:42,575 --> 00:20:44,493 much like drugs. 257 00:20:44,493 --> 00:20:47,413 When we gamble, our brains release dopamine, 258 00:20:47,413 --> 00:20:48,789 the "feel-good" chemical, 259 00:20:48,789 --> 00:20:51,500 and we experience a jolt of pleasure. 260 00:20:54,295 --> 00:20:57,840 But gambling is different than a drug-induced high, 261 00:20:57,840 --> 00:20:59,508 'cause dopamine is released 262 00:20:59,508 --> 00:21:03,053 regardless of whether we win or lose. 263 00:21:03,053 --> 00:21:06,807 It's the thrill of taking risks that triggers the pleasure. 264 00:21:06,807 --> 00:21:09,977 Today, an estimated three million Americans 265 00:21:09,977 --> 00:21:11,770 cannot stop gambling. 266 00:21:14,064 --> 00:21:16,650 Technically, I am an addict, you know? 267 00:21:16,650 --> 00:21:19,445 Probably by the book, I'm probably an addict. 268 00:21:22,865 --> 00:21:24,492 It's literally like a drug. 269 00:21:27,036 --> 00:21:30,873 Once it grips you, it grips you, and it's hard to let it go. 270 00:21:33,542 --> 00:21:34,835 I think social media 271 00:21:34,835 --> 00:21:37,546 is the biggest factor in all of this. 272 00:21:37,546 --> 00:21:39,340 - 43... - Yep. 273 00:21:39,340 --> 00:21:40,382 44... 274 00:21:40,382 --> 00:21:42,259 Those guys are the face of gambling, 275 00:21:42,259 --> 00:21:44,845 and everybody's following their plays, 276 00:21:44,845 --> 00:21:48,015 everybody is following their advice. 277 00:21:48,015 --> 00:21:50,059 Social media is littered with people 278 00:21:50,059 --> 00:21:53,729 who claim to be astonishingly successful gamblers. 279 00:21:53,729 --> 00:21:55,940 Like this guy. 280 00:21:55,940 --> 00:21:57,107 It's like 408. 281 00:21:57,107 --> 00:21:58,484 $408,000. 282 00:21:58,484 --> 00:22:00,653 We're gonna try to make this a million. 283 00:22:00,653 --> 00:22:02,947 Tonight? 284 00:22:02,947 --> 00:22:05,783 His social media handle is dirtygothboi, 285 00:22:05,783 --> 00:22:07,701 but he goes by Mikki Mase. 286 00:22:07,701 --> 00:22:08,911 How much did I win? 287 00:22:08,911 --> 00:22:10,120 You won $3.1 million, give or take. 288 00:22:10,120 --> 00:22:11,121 Thank you, man. 289 00:22:11,121 --> 00:22:12,414 And he's rumored to be 290 00:22:12,414 --> 00:22:16,335 one of Las Vegas' biggest winners of all time. 291 00:22:16,335 --> 00:22:17,920 We're not gonna allow you to play here. 292 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:19,213 Why? 293 00:22:19,213 --> 00:22:20,923 Because your play is too good for us. 294 00:22:20,923 --> 00:22:23,050 He racked it up for 373,000. 295 00:22:23,050 --> 00:22:24,593 Profit, 200,000. 296 00:22:24,593 --> 00:22:26,554 He took five grand and flipped it to 200 297 00:22:26,554 --> 00:22:28,931 before I knew what the [bleep] happened. 298 00:22:28,931 --> 00:22:31,058 Mikki claims to come from a long line 299 00:22:31,058 --> 00:22:33,227 of "degenerate gamblers." 300 00:22:33,227 --> 00:22:35,396 He also says he was a heroin addict, 301 00:22:35,396 --> 00:22:39,984 spent time in juvenile prison, and worked on Wall Street. 302 00:22:39,984 --> 00:22:41,193 So my number one game is baccarat, 303 00:22:41,193 --> 00:22:42,653 but it used to be blackjack. 304 00:22:42,653 --> 00:22:44,154 He allegedly wins a lot of money at a game 305 00:22:44,154 --> 00:22:46,323 that no one in the history of casino gambling has beaten. 306 00:22:46,323 --> 00:22:47,825 In the long term, you're always gonna lose. 307 00:22:47,825 --> 00:22:49,493 If that was true, then why am I banned 308 00:22:49,493 --> 00:22:51,829 from the city of Las Vegas? 309 00:22:51,829 --> 00:22:54,373 There's an old saying about gamblers: 310 00:22:54,373 --> 00:22:58,836 Always assume everyone's bluffing at all times. 311 00:22:58,836 --> 00:23:00,296 But Mikki promises to show me 312 00:23:00,296 --> 00:23:02,923 a side of the underworld gambling scene 313 00:23:02,923 --> 00:23:04,884 I can't even imagine. 314 00:23:11,849 --> 00:23:13,017 Oh, up top. 315 00:23:14,768 --> 00:23:16,937 I've been searching for a gambler who can get me 316 00:23:16,937 --> 00:23:20,649 inside the big money, high roller card games. 317 00:23:22,985 --> 00:23:26,447 Mikki Mase is exactly this kind of player. 318 00:23:29,742 --> 00:23:30,618 We're getting close. 319 00:23:33,078 --> 00:23:34,246 He's someone who's fled 320 00:23:34,246 --> 00:23:37,374 the legal, sanitized Sin City casinos. 321 00:23:40,294 --> 00:23:46,425 In fact, Mikki calls himself a Vegas exile. 322 00:23:46,425 --> 00:23:48,302 So you're, literally you cannot go 323 00:23:48,302 --> 00:23:49,470 to any of the casinos in Vegas? 324 00:23:49,470 --> 00:23:51,597 I'm allowed in two casinos. 325 00:23:51,597 --> 00:23:52,848 Why? 326 00:23:52,848 --> 00:23:53,974 Winning too much. 327 00:23:57,144 --> 00:23:58,646 They all say something different. 328 00:23:58,646 --> 00:23:59,688 Some of them simply say, 329 00:23:59,688 --> 00:24:00,856 "Never come back to our property," 330 00:24:00,856 --> 00:24:02,149 and hang up the phone. 331 00:24:02,149 --> 00:24:03,984 Some of them say, "You've won too much 332 00:24:03,984 --> 00:24:06,737 and you're not losing it back, and you're bad for business." 333 00:24:06,737 --> 00:24:08,364 And some have accused me of cheating, 334 00:24:08,364 --> 00:24:10,824 but they can't figure out how. 335 00:24:10,824 --> 00:24:12,868 What's the most amount of money you've ever won? 336 00:24:12,868 --> 00:24:14,620 The most I've ever won in one session? 337 00:24:14,620 --> 00:24:15,621 Yeah. 338 00:24:15,621 --> 00:24:17,665 $11,526,000. 339 00:24:20,167 --> 00:24:22,920 Every casino gives like a different bag 340 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:24,421 when you win in cash. 341 00:24:24,421 --> 00:24:25,881 They give it to you in hundred-dollar bills, 342 00:24:25,881 --> 00:24:27,966 and they give it to you like packed in cellophane, 343 00:24:27,966 --> 00:24:29,468 and it slides perfectly into this bag. 344 00:24:29,468 --> 00:24:31,970 Are you kidding me? 345 00:24:31,970 --> 00:24:34,932 The [bleep] vacuum seals! 346 00:24:34,932 --> 00:24:36,642 The only way to acquire one of these 347 00:24:36,642 --> 00:24:38,727 is you have to win half a million dollars 348 00:24:38,727 --> 00:24:40,187 from the Venetian or the Palazzo. 349 00:24:40,187 --> 00:24:41,355 All these bags 350 00:24:41,355 --> 00:24:42,523 are half a million dollars that you won? 351 00:24:42,523 --> 00:24:44,233 Yeah, I have more. 352 00:24:44,233 --> 00:24:46,694 I even cleaned them out three times. 353 00:24:46,694 --> 00:24:48,779 So we took whatever bags they had on hand, 354 00:24:48,779 --> 00:24:50,364 and they still ran out of bags, 355 00:24:50,364 --> 00:24:52,449 so, we'd have to use like pillow cases. 356 00:24:52,449 --> 00:24:53,450 I contacted 357 00:24:53,450 --> 00:24:54,535 several Vegas casinos 358 00:24:54,535 --> 00:24:56,245 about Mikki's claims, 359 00:24:56,245 --> 00:24:59,748 but they told me they refuse to comment on a guest's status. 360 00:24:59,748 --> 00:25:03,335 As the last few casinos started banning me, I said, 361 00:25:03,335 --> 00:25:04,712 "I can't gamble in Vegas anymore. 362 00:25:04,712 --> 00:25:06,088 What else can I do?" 363 00:25:06,088 --> 00:25:07,339 And I have a lot of friends 364 00:25:07,339 --> 00:25:09,341 that I know play in these private poker games. 365 00:25:09,341 --> 00:25:12,469 And I went and like was immediately like just enthralled 366 00:25:12,469 --> 00:25:14,012 with the environment. 367 00:25:16,765 --> 00:25:22,020 Something that movies haven't even depicted accurately. 368 00:25:22,020 --> 00:25:24,732 Maybe one day a week consistently I'd play 369 00:25:24,732 --> 00:25:28,444 and I'll throw in like a second or third game sporadically, 370 00:25:28,444 --> 00:25:29,820 but I will also just stop by 371 00:25:29,820 --> 00:25:31,739 because I like the free food and the women. 372 00:25:31,739 --> 00:25:34,158 Who doesn't? 373 00:25:34,158 --> 00:25:35,034 Yeah. 374 00:25:38,245 --> 00:25:40,581 In the super high stakes games, 375 00:25:40,581 --> 00:25:43,459 you'll rarely have like a physical threat. 376 00:25:44,418 --> 00:25:45,961 But in the lower level games, 377 00:25:45,961 --> 00:25:50,090 people have been shot and stabbed during the game. 378 00:25:50,090 --> 00:25:53,427 There's a lot of gangbangers and drug dealers and pimps, 379 00:25:53,427 --> 00:25:54,928 and those kind of guys, 380 00:25:54,928 --> 00:25:57,639 there's really no telling what some of them will do. 381 00:25:57,639 --> 00:25:59,850 Tonight Mikki has promised to get me 382 00:25:59,850 --> 00:26:04,313 inside one of these invite-only events. 383 00:26:04,313 --> 00:26:06,023 It's a game that hosts a mix 384 00:26:06,023 --> 00:26:09,151 of poker pros and white-collar professionals, 385 00:26:09,151 --> 00:26:12,070 but also gang members and cartel associates. 386 00:26:15,699 --> 00:26:18,702 The meeting point is inside a high-end apartment building 387 00:26:18,702 --> 00:26:19,745 in Downtown LA. 388 00:26:24,458 --> 00:26:26,794 He's right there. 389 00:26:26,794 --> 00:26:28,462 So if I'm doing a story about illegal gambling, 390 00:26:28,462 --> 00:26:31,882 this is definitely the right place to be? 391 00:26:31,882 --> 00:26:36,094 I would say LA is the mecca of illegal gambling. 392 00:26:41,183 --> 00:26:42,810 Hi, how are you? Mariana. 393 00:26:47,606 --> 00:26:49,858 From the moment I enter the penthouse apartment, 394 00:26:49,858 --> 00:26:54,196 it's clear that this is not your typical casino. 395 00:26:54,196 --> 00:26:57,116 About 20 male players, including Mikki, 396 00:26:57,116 --> 00:26:59,743 are seated around three poker tables, 397 00:26:59,743 --> 00:27:02,538 while 10 scantily clad poker girls, 398 00:27:02,538 --> 00:27:06,041 as they're called, service their so-called "needs." 399 00:27:06,041 --> 00:27:08,168 And what are the girls doing? What's their job there? 400 00:27:08,168 --> 00:27:11,797 Well, their job title is like server and massage girl. 401 00:27:11,797 --> 00:27:13,841 A lot of the women know their tips are better 402 00:27:13,841 --> 00:27:15,175 with the less clothes they wear 403 00:27:15,175 --> 00:27:17,302 and the more action they take in the backroom. 404 00:27:17,302 --> 00:27:19,221 Which means sometimes sex? 405 00:27:19,221 --> 00:27:20,806 Sure. 406 00:27:20,806 --> 00:27:23,851 Unfortunately, we're inside for maybe five minutes 407 00:27:23,851 --> 00:27:26,728 when I'm told our cameras aren't welcome after all. 408 00:27:28,939 --> 00:27:30,315 Okay. Yeah? 409 00:27:30,315 --> 00:27:32,484 They've ushered us into the bathroom. 410 00:27:32,484 --> 00:27:34,945 I think it's one of the most frustrating moments for us 411 00:27:34,945 --> 00:27:36,280 just to be so close to the action 412 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:39,783 and yet not being able to actually see it. 413 00:27:39,783 --> 00:27:42,035 Luckily, I convince one of the poker girls 414 00:27:42,035 --> 00:27:44,830 to take a break and join me. 415 00:27:44,830 --> 00:27:46,415 When you first entered this world, 416 00:27:46,415 --> 00:27:47,833 was it shocking to you to find out? 417 00:27:47,833 --> 00:27:49,084 Yeah. 418 00:27:49,084 --> 00:27:51,587 I mean, given I came from like a lower income family, 419 00:27:51,587 --> 00:27:54,506 it's so crazy to see people gamble with money 420 00:27:54,506 --> 00:27:56,925 that's worth more than my parents' house. 421 00:27:56,925 --> 00:27:58,969 So how much money, more or less, 422 00:27:58,969 --> 00:28:00,762 do you make on a good night? 423 00:28:02,431 --> 00:28:03,724 On a good night 424 00:28:03,724 --> 00:28:08,770 I can make anywhere from like 2,000 to 2,500. 425 00:28:08,770 --> 00:28:11,148 The most I've made in a night is 5,000. 426 00:28:11,148 --> 00:28:12,149 That's pretty good money. 427 00:28:12,149 --> 00:28:13,609 - Yeah. - Yeah. 428 00:28:13,609 --> 00:28:15,777 Pretty good is an understatement. 429 00:28:15,777 --> 00:28:19,823 She says she pulls in roughly $40,000 a month, 430 00:28:19,823 --> 00:28:21,742 all of it made through tips, 431 00:28:21,742 --> 00:28:25,662 so it's off the books and presumably tax-free. 432 00:28:25,662 --> 00:28:29,625 I've never done anything extra in these games. 433 00:28:29,625 --> 00:28:30,834 Does that happen? 434 00:28:30,834 --> 00:28:33,086 Girls are full service, for sure. 435 00:28:33,086 --> 00:28:34,838 110%. 436 00:28:34,838 --> 00:28:37,215 Players know the girls that are, 437 00:28:37,215 --> 00:28:40,510 so you kind of get picked less and you kind of get tipped less. 438 00:28:40,510 --> 00:28:42,804 I think it's kind of like what you're willing to do, 439 00:28:42,804 --> 00:28:46,183 I guess, for some money. 440 00:28:46,183 --> 00:28:48,143 But the poker girls aren't the only ones here 441 00:28:48,143 --> 00:28:50,354 trying to earn a living. 442 00:28:50,354 --> 00:28:52,397 And so as a dealer, you make more money 443 00:28:52,397 --> 00:28:56,234 in the underground scene than you do in the regular casino? 444 00:28:56,234 --> 00:28:57,653 A lot more. 445 00:28:57,653 --> 00:29:00,530 This is the Queen of Poker, 446 00:29:00,530 --> 00:29:02,532 as she likes to be called. 447 00:29:02,532 --> 00:29:04,618 She's a former Las Vegas dealer 448 00:29:04,618 --> 00:29:07,412 who now pursues more lucrative opportunities 449 00:29:07,412 --> 00:29:10,123 hosting her own illegal poker games. 450 00:29:10,123 --> 00:29:11,833 This is my gaming room here. 451 00:29:11,833 --> 00:29:13,710 Whoa, that's a lot of people. 452 00:29:13,710 --> 00:29:15,253 Yeah. 453 00:29:15,253 --> 00:29:17,214 I can go play poker with my friends if I want to, 454 00:29:17,214 --> 00:29:19,007 and that's not illegal, right? 455 00:29:19,007 --> 00:29:20,759 So what part of it is illegal? 456 00:29:20,759 --> 00:29:24,680 The illegal part is taking the rake. 457 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:28,767 As the dealer runs the game, that's where the rake is taken, 458 00:29:28,767 --> 00:29:30,852 which is where the money is. 459 00:29:30,852 --> 00:29:32,020 I'm assuming the rake 460 00:29:32,020 --> 00:29:33,647 is, like, a percentage of what is being played? 461 00:29:33,647 --> 00:29:37,067 Yeah, it's a percentage. Like at the casino. 462 00:29:37,067 --> 00:29:40,904 But only legal casinos are permitted to take a rake. 463 00:29:40,904 --> 00:29:45,534 Tonight's host will make roughly $80,000. 464 00:29:45,534 --> 00:29:48,161 So they're making a [bleep] ton of money. 465 00:29:52,666 --> 00:29:55,460 Suddenly we hear yelling from the other room. 466 00:29:59,339 --> 00:30:01,591 [bleep] Okay. 467 00:30:35,292 --> 00:30:38,045 I've gained access to my first underground poker game. 468 00:30:45,343 --> 00:30:46,803 But instead of gambling, 469 00:30:46,803 --> 00:30:49,222 one of the players is making threats. 470 00:30:53,310 --> 00:30:55,228 Thankfully the out-of-control gambler 471 00:30:55,228 --> 00:30:58,774 is escorted from the penthouse. 472 00:30:58,774 --> 00:31:00,567 So let's talk about the drama. What happened? 473 00:31:00,567 --> 00:31:01,943 I don't know anything. I don't know. 474 00:31:01,943 --> 00:31:03,236 But there was a gun and there was a knife. 475 00:31:03,236 --> 00:31:04,237 I don't know. 476 00:31:04,237 --> 00:31:05,572 I don't know about a gun and a knife. 477 00:31:05,572 --> 00:31:06,907 I don't know anything. 478 00:31:06,907 --> 00:31:08,366 You mean you don't want to talk about it? 479 00:31:08,366 --> 00:31:10,577 No, there's nothing to talk about, I don't know. 480 00:31:10,577 --> 00:31:11,912 I mean, we all saw it. 481 00:31:11,912 --> 00:31:13,246 Well, I don't, then you can talk about it. 482 00:31:13,246 --> 00:31:14,498 I don't know. 483 00:31:14,498 --> 00:31:15,499 Okay, but that, 484 00:31:15,499 --> 00:31:16,708 has that scared people, do you think? 485 00:31:16,708 --> 00:31:17,918 That's why some people left? 486 00:31:17,918 --> 00:31:20,712 I don't know. 487 00:31:20,712 --> 00:31:21,588 Okay. 488 00:31:23,256 --> 00:31:25,967 It seems there's an unofficial code of silence 489 00:31:25,967 --> 00:31:27,803 around these games. 490 00:31:27,803 --> 00:31:29,721 But rumor has it that they were fighting 491 00:31:29,721 --> 00:31:33,600 over a $27,000 gambling debt. 492 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:37,062 Is it difficult for you to get people to pay what they owe you? 493 00:31:37,062 --> 00:31:39,356 Yeah, because people are not carrying 494 00:31:39,356 --> 00:31:41,525 10,000, 20,000 in their pocket. 495 00:31:41,525 --> 00:31:43,068 You know? 496 00:31:43,068 --> 00:31:47,989 So you have to offer a credit or marker to keep a game going 497 00:31:47,989 --> 00:31:52,327 and make a good amount of money that's worth your time. 498 00:31:52,327 --> 00:31:55,080 How much money are you owed, you think? 499 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:56,623 Half a million. 500 00:31:56,623 --> 00:31:58,708 You're owed half a million dollars? 501 00:31:58,708 --> 00:32:00,585 Do you think you'll get any of that money? 502 00:32:00,585 --> 00:32:02,045 I'm working on it. 503 00:32:02,045 --> 00:32:04,005 Do you hire a person that can go and tell them? 504 00:32:04,005 --> 00:32:05,298 There's collectors. 505 00:32:05,298 --> 00:32:06,675 Mm-hmm. 506 00:32:06,675 --> 00:32:07,926 Tell you what we doing. 507 00:32:07,926 --> 00:32:09,094 Back the [bleep]. What we gonna do? 508 00:32:09,094 --> 00:32:10,220 You don't know. 509 00:32:10,220 --> 00:32:11,555 You don't mother [bleep] know. 510 00:32:11,555 --> 00:32:13,431 This is what law enforcement 511 00:32:13,431 --> 00:32:15,016 is most concerned about. 512 00:32:15,016 --> 00:32:18,145 Not just the millions being made off the books, 513 00:32:18,145 --> 00:32:21,148 but the criminal activity associated with these games. 514 00:32:21,148 --> 00:32:22,983 Illegal gambling now accounts 515 00:32:22,983 --> 00:32:27,362 for half of their murders so far this year. 516 00:32:27,362 --> 00:32:28,655 Have you ever heard of anyone, 517 00:32:28,655 --> 00:32:30,782 people that are contracted to be enforcers? 518 00:32:30,782 --> 00:32:32,951 Yeah, of course. Every day. 519 00:32:32,951 --> 00:32:34,995 Oh, that actually happens pretty often. 520 00:32:34,995 --> 00:32:36,830 Every day. 521 00:32:36,830 --> 00:32:38,915 Let's say you're at a game that's ran by the Russians. 522 00:32:38,915 --> 00:32:40,083 Mm-hmm. 523 00:32:40,083 --> 00:32:41,877 And you rob one of the Russians, 524 00:32:41,877 --> 00:32:44,421 they will bring somebody in from Russia to find you, 525 00:32:44,421 --> 00:32:47,340 collect the money, and then they return to Russia. 526 00:32:47,340 --> 00:32:48,550 Holy [bleep], that actually happens? 527 00:32:48,550 --> 00:32:50,093 Every day. 528 00:33:00,353 --> 00:33:02,439 The following evening, 529 00:33:02,439 --> 00:33:06,526 Mikki picks me up in a McLaren GT, 530 00:33:06,526 --> 00:33:09,154 a car with a very Mikki backstory. 531 00:33:11,907 --> 00:33:13,241 I had an argument 532 00:33:13,241 --> 00:33:15,577 with the vice president of one of the casinos. 533 00:33:15,577 --> 00:33:17,537 And so just to show him some attitude, 534 00:33:17,537 --> 00:33:19,706 I told him I was gonna win a million dollars that weekend 535 00:33:19,706 --> 00:33:21,374 and then go buy an exotic car. 536 00:33:21,374 --> 00:33:23,627 And you went back to the hotel and showed him. 537 00:33:23,627 --> 00:33:25,128 I parked it right in front. 538 00:33:26,922 --> 00:33:30,133 We're heading to a so-called "billionaire's game," 539 00:33:30,133 --> 00:33:33,053 an uber-exclusive poker game that Mikki plays 540 00:33:33,053 --> 00:33:35,138 in Beverly Hills. 541 00:33:35,138 --> 00:33:37,015 So this is a totally different ballgame 542 00:33:37,015 --> 00:33:38,642 from the game we went to the other day, right? 543 00:33:38,642 --> 00:33:43,063 100%, it's not even, it's, like, not even comparable. 544 00:33:43,063 --> 00:33:44,522 Some people might end up buying in 545 00:33:44,522 --> 00:33:48,026 for maybe two or three million. 546 00:33:48,026 --> 00:33:50,654 Mikki tells me the game regularly hosts 547 00:33:50,654 --> 00:33:55,158 Hollywood A-listers, real estate moguls, oil tycoons, 548 00:33:55,158 --> 00:34:00,080 and even high level members of organized crime. 549 00:34:02,916 --> 00:34:04,042 You'll definitely recognize them, 550 00:34:04,042 --> 00:34:05,877 and it's not impossible that a lot of them 551 00:34:05,877 --> 00:34:08,213 could possibly recognize you. 552 00:34:08,213 --> 00:34:09,798 That's got me a little worried, 553 00:34:09,798 --> 00:34:11,758 because to gain access, 554 00:34:11,758 --> 00:34:15,011 Mikki's told the game runners that I'm his friend. 555 00:34:15,011 --> 00:34:16,721 No one knows that I'm a journalist 556 00:34:16,721 --> 00:34:18,974 investigating black markets. 557 00:34:18,974 --> 00:34:20,433 And there'll be a line of questions: 558 00:34:20,433 --> 00:34:22,894 What's her skill level? How long have you known her? 559 00:34:22,894 --> 00:34:25,063 To get a gauge if you're an appropriate character 560 00:34:25,063 --> 00:34:28,358 to be in our secret environment. 561 00:34:28,358 --> 00:34:29,651 This is our secret world we have. 562 00:34:29,651 --> 00:34:30,735 Mm-hmm. 563 00:34:30,735 --> 00:34:31,736 And so to let an outsider in 564 00:34:31,736 --> 00:34:33,363 is a pretty big deal. 565 00:34:33,363 --> 00:34:35,991 Unfortunately the cameras will not be able 566 00:34:35,991 --> 00:34:37,701 to follow us inside. 567 00:34:45,542 --> 00:34:48,962 Despite all his legal winnings, I have yet to understand 568 00:34:48,962 --> 00:34:53,383 why Mikki prefers to play in private, off-the-books games. 569 00:34:53,383 --> 00:34:55,510 Which is my biggest question about this whole thing 570 00:34:55,510 --> 00:34:57,345 is why are there illegal gambling dens, 571 00:34:57,345 --> 00:35:01,891 if gambling in general is more and more legal 572 00:35:01,891 --> 00:35:03,268 in America, everywhere? 573 00:35:03,268 --> 00:35:04,436 There's a lot of reasons why. 574 00:35:04,436 --> 00:35:05,895 So if we're the ones controlling the game 575 00:35:05,895 --> 00:35:07,480 and we are essentially the casino, 576 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:10,817 we can not only dictate the rules of the game itself, 577 00:35:10,817 --> 00:35:12,861 but we also get the environment. 578 00:35:15,655 --> 00:35:17,532 You know, a lot of people want to party. 579 00:35:17,532 --> 00:35:20,577 We set up for certain women to be around. 580 00:35:20,577 --> 00:35:22,454 Politicians and movie producers 581 00:35:22,454 --> 00:35:24,706 and actors and hip hop artists and athletes, 582 00:35:24,706 --> 00:35:26,082 they all want a private place 583 00:35:26,082 --> 00:35:28,668 where they can just act however they want to act. 584 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:39,596 The US is home to roughly 700 billionaires, 585 00:35:39,596 --> 00:35:45,226 and tonight, according to Mikki, I'm looking at a few of them. 586 00:35:45,226 --> 00:35:48,855 I see 10 players seated around a large table. 587 00:35:48,855 --> 00:35:50,190 I can't name names, 588 00:35:50,190 --> 00:35:54,861 but there are some recognizable big shots present. 589 00:35:54,861 --> 00:35:59,616 Mikki says that there's at least $2 million at play. 590 00:35:59,616 --> 00:36:03,370 There's a chef serving whatever the player wants. 591 00:36:03,370 --> 00:36:05,705 There's champagne and single malts. 592 00:36:05,705 --> 00:36:06,915 Cigars. 593 00:36:06,915 --> 00:36:08,458 And though I don't see it, 594 00:36:08,458 --> 00:36:12,754 I'm told cocaine is also on the menu. 595 00:36:12,754 --> 00:36:17,884 Behind the players, about 20 seductively dressed women hover. 596 00:36:17,884 --> 00:36:20,261 And Mikki tells me that every once in a while 597 00:36:20,261 --> 00:36:21,846 the player will leave the table 598 00:36:21,846 --> 00:36:26,184 and head to a private room with one of these girls. 599 00:36:26,184 --> 00:36:28,937 And because of the money in play, tonight's host 600 00:36:28,937 --> 00:36:32,941 could be making hundreds of thousands of dollars. 601 00:36:32,941 --> 00:36:35,235 It's not just the rake that brings in money, 602 00:36:35,235 --> 00:36:36,694 it's the tips. 603 00:36:36,694 --> 00:36:39,739 Players tip the bartenders, the bookkeeper; 604 00:36:39,739 --> 00:36:43,535 each one of the girls can earn tens of thousands of dollars, 605 00:36:43,535 --> 00:36:47,288 and the house takes 50% of all of it. 606 00:36:47,288 --> 00:36:49,165 As I try to process this, 607 00:36:49,165 --> 00:36:52,293 one of the poker girls approaches me and says, 608 00:36:52,293 --> 00:36:55,755 "Your face is so familiar. Do I know you?" 609 00:37:12,188 --> 00:37:14,274 Well, that was insane. 610 00:37:14,274 --> 00:37:17,610 Um, yeah, I mean, it was... 611 00:37:17,610 --> 00:37:19,612 I don't even know where to start. 612 00:37:19,612 --> 00:37:22,323 Mikki said that the guy that actually runs this game 613 00:37:22,323 --> 00:37:24,367 went up to him and said, "So she's with you, right?" 614 00:37:24,367 --> 00:37:26,286 And Mikki said, "Yeah, she's with me." 615 00:37:26,286 --> 00:37:28,705 "She looks like a cop. Is she a cop?" 616 00:37:28,705 --> 00:37:30,081 And then that was the moment 617 00:37:30,081 --> 00:37:32,959 that I thought it was a good idea to probably leave. 618 00:37:32,959 --> 00:37:37,088 And to think that these places exist and are all around town, 619 00:37:37,088 --> 00:37:38,715 particularly here in Beverly Hills 620 00:37:38,715 --> 00:37:40,675 surrounded by these mansions. 621 00:37:40,675 --> 00:37:42,177 it's a side of the city that I've never seen 622 00:37:42,177 --> 00:37:43,762 and I didn't think existed. 623 00:37:56,733 --> 00:37:57,901 This morning, 624 00:37:57,901 --> 00:38:00,778 close to 100 sheriff's department officers 625 00:38:00,778 --> 00:38:04,199 prepare to take down seven different targets. 626 00:38:04,199 --> 00:38:06,659 They're all linked to the same gambling operation 627 00:38:06,659 --> 00:38:09,788 Detective Juarez's team was surveilling. 628 00:38:09,788 --> 00:38:12,415 And I'm in the thick of it. 629 00:38:30,058 --> 00:38:32,852 So it's 6:00 a.m., 630 00:38:32,852 --> 00:38:34,646 we're a block away from the target 631 00:38:34,646 --> 00:38:36,981 in a armored vehicle, 632 00:38:36,981 --> 00:38:40,235 part of a convoy of about eight vehicles. 633 00:38:40,235 --> 00:38:43,112 A couple of bulletproof vehicles like this one. 634 00:38:43,112 --> 00:38:46,491 The LA County Sheriff's Department is rolling deep today 635 00:38:46,491 --> 00:38:50,119 because of the violent history of the casinos' security: 636 00:38:50,119 --> 00:38:51,621 the Mexican Mafia. 637 00:38:54,874 --> 00:38:57,168 You see them? They're going over the fence here. 638 00:39:06,844 --> 00:39:08,471 So they just broke through the window 639 00:39:08,471 --> 00:39:11,599 and are going through. 640 00:39:14,310 --> 00:39:15,520 Oh, look. 641 00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:18,815 They just brought somebody out of the house. 642 00:39:18,815 --> 00:39:22,485 The detainees are a mix of Asians and Hispanics, 643 00:39:22,485 --> 00:39:25,572 but it's unclear to me which ones are the players 644 00:39:25,572 --> 00:39:27,782 versus the casino operators. 645 00:39:27,782 --> 00:39:31,286 They're arresting, I think, the ninth person right now. 646 00:39:31,286 --> 00:39:33,246 So 10 people believed to be in the house. 647 00:39:33,246 --> 00:39:35,748 Two of them apparently fled, one of them was caught, 648 00:39:35,748 --> 00:39:38,167 and the other one is still on the loose. 649 00:39:45,508 --> 00:39:49,512 While it's never been easier to legally gamble in America, 650 00:39:49,512 --> 00:39:53,808 the 10 people here are so desperate to scratch that itch, 651 00:39:53,808 --> 00:39:56,102 they're playing at an illegal casino 652 00:39:56,102 --> 00:40:00,148 at 6:00 a.m. on a weekday morning. 653 00:40:00,148 --> 00:40:01,566 It's a frightening reminder 654 00:40:01,566 --> 00:40:05,403 that compulsive gambling is called "the hidden addiction" 655 00:40:05,403 --> 00:40:07,655 because, unlike drugs and alcohol, 656 00:40:07,655 --> 00:40:10,033 there are no physical signs. 657 00:40:10,033 --> 00:40:12,410 In the last year I gambled, 658 00:40:12,410 --> 00:40:17,874 I went through over $1 million of clients' money. 659 00:40:17,874 --> 00:40:22,045 And when I did that, I swore to God 660 00:40:22,045 --> 00:40:25,423 that I was gonna pay that money back. 661 00:40:25,423 --> 00:40:28,635 Perhaps because of the secrecy and shame, 662 00:40:28,635 --> 00:40:31,638 compulsive gambling has the highest suicide rates 663 00:40:31,638 --> 00:40:33,723 of all addictions. 664 00:40:33,723 --> 00:40:39,479 I remember the night that I went down to the office, 665 00:40:39,479 --> 00:40:44,859 I had a client's gun, and I took that gun out of the cupboard 666 00:40:44,859 --> 00:40:48,696 and I was going to end my life. 667 00:40:48,696 --> 00:40:54,410 I remember, um... mm... 668 00:40:54,410 --> 00:40:57,121 calling the suicide hotline 669 00:40:57,121 --> 00:41:01,417 and I wanted to kill myself, I really did. 670 00:41:02,794 --> 00:41:04,796 The phone rang... 671 00:41:04,796 --> 00:41:06,673 and it rang and it rang. 672 00:41:08,132 --> 00:41:10,718 And I said, "God, if you help me, 673 00:41:10,718 --> 00:41:14,639 if you help me, I will do what's right." 674 00:41:14,639 --> 00:41:16,224 These two recovering addicts 675 00:41:16,224 --> 00:41:18,810 never gambled at an illegal casino. 676 00:41:18,810 --> 00:41:21,229 They didn't have to. 677 00:41:21,229 --> 00:41:25,608 It turns out America's most destructive gambling market 678 00:41:25,608 --> 00:41:28,277 may not be the one I've been following, 679 00:41:28,277 --> 00:41:31,072 the one that's happening in the shadows. 680 00:41:31,072 --> 00:41:32,949 It's the one that announces itself 681 00:41:32,949 --> 00:41:35,576 with bold, flashing lights. 682 00:41:35,576 --> 00:41:36,744 Predatory gambling 683 00:41:36,744 --> 00:41:39,872 is America's most neglected major problem. 684 00:41:39,872 --> 00:41:42,625 Right now you have advertising and marketing 685 00:41:42,625 --> 00:41:44,335 encouraging citizens to do this. 686 00:41:44,335 --> 00:41:46,129 Blackjack! Blackjack! 687 00:41:46,129 --> 00:41:47,797 Just to participate in a business 688 00:41:47,797 --> 00:41:51,342 that ultimately is gonna get them fleeced. 689 00:41:51,342 --> 00:41:53,010 Les Bernal is the director 690 00:41:53,010 --> 00:41:55,221 of Stop Predatory Gambling, 691 00:41:55,221 --> 00:41:56,931 a national advocacy network 692 00:41:56,931 --> 00:41:58,891 committed to exposing the truth 693 00:41:58,891 --> 00:42:01,144 about America's state-sanctioned gambling. 694 00:42:01,144 --> 00:42:03,062 This is a public policy 695 00:42:03,062 --> 00:42:06,774 that's based on cheating and exploiting citizens. 696 00:42:06,774 --> 00:42:09,861 This financial exchange is a lure that you might win money. 697 00:42:09,861 --> 00:42:10,987 All right? 698 00:42:10,987 --> 00:42:12,655 But it's mathematically stacked against you, 699 00:42:12,655 --> 00:42:14,574 so the longer you participate in it, 700 00:42:14,574 --> 00:42:16,367 the more money you spend in it, 701 00:42:16,367 --> 00:42:18,453 in the long term, it's not a question 702 00:42:18,453 --> 00:42:20,496 of if you're gonna end up losing all of your money; 703 00:42:20,496 --> 00:42:22,081 it's an absolute certainty 704 00:42:22,081 --> 00:42:23,666 you're gonna lose all your money. 705 00:42:23,666 --> 00:42:25,543 And while I've been trying to understand 706 00:42:25,543 --> 00:42:28,337 why the black market even exists, 707 00:42:28,337 --> 00:42:32,550 Les claims the answer is quite simple. 708 00:42:32,550 --> 00:42:36,179 You wouldn't have the massive amount 709 00:42:36,179 --> 00:42:38,723 of illegal gambling happening today 710 00:42:38,723 --> 00:42:42,769 if it wasn't for state-sanctioned gambling. 711 00:42:42,769 --> 00:42:44,270 It's normalized gambling. 712 00:42:46,773 --> 00:42:49,025 If you ask anybody in the illegal gambling business, 713 00:42:49,025 --> 00:42:53,196 "Hey, is it a good thing that states are promoting gambling?" 714 00:42:53,196 --> 00:42:55,490 to a person, every single one of them 715 00:42:55,490 --> 00:42:58,701 would say, "Absolutely, it's great for business." 716 00:42:58,701 --> 00:42:59,911 According to Les, 717 00:42:59,911 --> 00:43:02,371 the biggest difference between these markets 718 00:43:02,371 --> 00:43:06,876 is that one of them receives the blessing of state officials. 719 00:43:06,876 --> 00:43:08,419 We sell $100 scratch tickets 720 00:43:08,419 --> 00:43:10,755 to people making $7.25 an hour. 721 00:43:10,755 --> 00:43:12,215 That's a government program. 722 00:43:12,215 --> 00:43:14,217 They're encouraging people to play a product 723 00:43:14,217 --> 00:43:16,511 that has been identified as addictive 724 00:43:16,511 --> 00:43:19,263 as opioids and cocaine. 725 00:43:19,263 --> 00:43:24,435 The business model is based on turning citizens into addicts. 726 00:43:24,435 --> 00:43:26,020 But while the US government 727 00:43:26,020 --> 00:43:29,023 spends more than $1 billion each year 728 00:43:29,023 --> 00:43:32,276 on treatments for drug and alcohol abuse, 729 00:43:32,276 --> 00:43:35,363 there's not a single cent of federal funding 730 00:43:35,363 --> 00:43:38,866 spent on America's growing gambling addiction. 731 00:43:45,289 --> 00:43:47,208 I had my first big win 732 00:43:47,208 --> 00:43:52,296 at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas, 733 00:43:52,296 --> 00:43:56,384 and it's absolutely the worst thing that can happen to you.