1 00:00:01,335 --> 00:00:03,754 [cheering] 2 00:00:03,754 --> 00:00:09,218 [Michael] I had my first big win at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas. 3 00:00:09,218 --> 00:00:12,095 ♪ ♪ 4 00:00:12,095 --> 00:00:14,765 [cheering] 5 00:00:14,765 --> 00:00:17,434 God came down and said, "Michael, 6 00:00:17,434 --> 00:00:20,520 the answer to all of your financial problems 7 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:21,480 are the slots." 8 00:00:25,192 --> 00:00:27,152 And as I'm sitting there, all of a sudden... 9 00:00:28,111 --> 00:00:29,112 [bells ringing] 10 00:00:29,112 --> 00:00:30,822 ...bells start going off. 11 00:00:30,822 --> 00:00:33,283 I had hit the jackpot. 12 00:00:33,283 --> 00:00:35,369 I won $100,000. 13 00:00:35,369 --> 00:00:38,747 ♪ ♪ 14 00:00:38,747 --> 00:00:44,378 And that feeling was just one of complete bliss. 15 00:00:44,378 --> 00:00:47,798 People would come by and touch me. 16 00:00:47,798 --> 00:00:51,969 From that day on, I was known as Mr. Lucky. 17 00:00:51,969 --> 00:00:54,429 [Mariana van Zeller] They call it "the big win." 18 00:00:54,429 --> 00:00:59,101 The potent rush of money won versus money earned. 19 00:00:59,101 --> 00:01:01,728 And gamblers have been chasing it for generations. 20 00:01:01,728 --> 00:01:03,146 [screaming] 21 00:01:03,146 --> 00:01:04,564 [Sharon Stone] Yes! 22 00:01:04,564 --> 00:01:07,150 [Mariana] Even Hollywood has played into this fantasy. 23 00:01:07,150 --> 00:01:08,443 [George Clooney] I'll raise you 2,000. 24 00:01:08,443 --> 00:01:10,862 [James Gandolfini] Kinda high stakes for you, no? 25 00:01:10,862 --> 00:01:13,240 [Mariana] America's legal gambling industry rakes in 26 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,660 over $200 billion a year, 27 00:01:16,660 --> 00:01:19,246 but for some bookies and bettors, 28 00:01:19,246 --> 00:01:21,248 it's not enough. 29 00:01:21,248 --> 00:01:23,417 [Gambler] I'm competitive and I like to win. 30 00:01:23,417 --> 00:01:24,459 In gambling, it's really clear 31 00:01:24,459 --> 00:01:26,837 whether you're a winner or you're a loser. 32 00:01:26,837 --> 00:01:28,505 [Mariana] Black market games and casinos 33 00:01:28,505 --> 00:01:31,049 are popping up all over the country. 34 00:01:31,049 --> 00:01:33,385 [Gambler] A lot of celebrities, a lot of politicians, 35 00:01:33,385 --> 00:01:34,886 and they all want a private place 36 00:01:34,886 --> 00:01:37,764 where they can just act however they want to act. 37 00:01:37,764 --> 00:01:40,100 [Mariana] Where fortunes are being lost and won... 38 00:01:42,185 --> 00:01:43,437 [Man] You're right. 39 00:01:43,437 --> 00:01:45,564 [Mariana] ...off the books and in the shadows. 40 00:02:19,681 --> 00:02:27,105 ♪ ♪ 41 00:02:47,626 --> 00:02:48,835 [Mariana] Yeah. It's quite interesting 42 00:02:48,835 --> 00:02:50,796 that we have to call you all the way from Mexico. 43 00:02:50,796 --> 00:02:53,173 Mexican journalist Miguel Angel Vega 44 00:02:53,173 --> 00:02:56,259 is an old friend and colleague who's helped me gain access 45 00:02:56,259 --> 00:03:00,263 to many criminal operators throughout my career. 46 00:03:00,263 --> 00:03:03,016 Tonight, 300 miles from Los Angeles, 47 00:03:03,016 --> 00:03:05,394 we're due to meet a cartel associate 48 00:03:05,394 --> 00:03:08,230 who's rumored to host an illegal poker game. 49 00:03:08,230 --> 00:03:09,773 What's his connection to the cartel? 50 00:03:26,706 --> 00:03:31,253 [dog barking] 51 00:03:43,807 --> 00:03:45,392 [Mariana] Well, thank you. 52 00:03:45,392 --> 00:03:47,644 He tells me to call him Tony. 53 00:03:47,644 --> 00:03:50,397 Originally from Los Angeles, he now lives here 54 00:03:50,397 --> 00:03:53,233 in an undisclosed part of Northern California. 55 00:04:16,131 --> 00:04:18,967 [dog barking] 56 00:04:22,512 --> 00:04:25,974 [Mariana] Before the game begins, 57 00:04:25,974 --> 00:04:28,101 all of the players must disarm. 58 00:04:34,566 --> 00:04:35,859 [Tony] Play some games. 59 00:04:35,859 --> 00:04:37,319 [Mariana] Despite Tony's admission 60 00:04:37,319 --> 00:04:38,862 that his clients are a mix 61 00:04:38,862 --> 00:04:42,699 of ex-cons, cartel associates, and possibly contract killers... 62 00:04:42,699 --> 00:04:43,992 Oh, wow. You guys start strong, huh? 63 00:04:43,992 --> 00:04:45,452 [Player] [bleep] it. 64 00:04:45,452 --> 00:04:48,288 [Mariana] ...tonight's stakes aren't particularly high, 65 00:04:48,288 --> 00:04:50,081 just a few thousand bucks. 66 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:53,001 [Mariana] How much money did you make? 67 00:04:57,339 --> 00:04:58,423 [bleep] 68 00:04:58,423 --> 00:05:01,051 [players speaking Spanish] 69 00:05:01,051 --> 00:05:02,177 [Mariana] So are you seeing more 70 00:05:02,177 --> 00:05:04,262 of these underground games happening? 71 00:05:21,154 --> 00:05:23,573 [Mariana] The players tell me there are thousands 72 00:05:23,573 --> 00:05:26,576 of unlicensed casinos and underworld card games 73 00:05:26,576 --> 00:05:29,704 taking place in every city across the country. 74 00:05:29,704 --> 00:05:31,039 Have you ever been 75 00:05:31,039 --> 00:05:33,625 to any of those high-rolling illegal poker nights? 76 00:05:38,505 --> 00:05:39,381 [Tony] Yeah. 77 00:06:00,735 --> 00:06:01,695 [Mariana] Oh, my God. 78 00:06:06,908 --> 00:06:09,452 [Mariana] For years I've opened these doors 79 00:06:09,452 --> 00:06:11,746 and gained access to all manner of black markets. 80 00:06:11,746 --> 00:06:13,164 [gunshot] 81 00:06:13,164 --> 00:06:16,334 But these markets typically offer products or services 82 00:06:16,334 --> 00:06:18,795 that are outlawed. 83 00:06:18,795 --> 00:06:22,716 And that's what makes Tony's story so mysterious. 84 00:06:22,716 --> 00:06:24,509 Why is the underground gambling scene 85 00:06:24,509 --> 00:06:26,595 booming in the United States 86 00:06:26,595 --> 00:06:29,681 when a legal market already exists? 87 00:06:29,681 --> 00:06:33,351 I want to find out who's running these black market games 88 00:06:33,351 --> 00:06:35,395 and what the attraction is. 89 00:06:44,112 --> 00:06:47,240 [dog barking] 90 00:07:20,190 --> 00:07:22,025 [Mariana] Oh, yeah. 91 00:07:22,025 --> 00:07:23,860 There's more people coming. 92 00:07:30,325 --> 00:07:33,161 [Mariana] I'm riding shotgun tonight with Detective Juarez 93 00:07:33,161 --> 00:07:36,498 of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. 94 00:07:36,498 --> 00:07:37,916 His team is conducting surveillance 95 00:07:37,916 --> 00:07:39,084 on a criminal network 96 00:07:39,084 --> 00:07:42,629 that operates multiple underworld casinos. 97 00:07:42,629 --> 00:07:43,797 So this is a big player 98 00:07:43,797 --> 00:07:45,674 that you guys have been tracking for a while 99 00:07:45,674 --> 00:07:48,385 that runs, you think, more than one illegal casino? 100 00:07:50,595 --> 00:07:52,639 [Mariana] And what can you tell me about this person? 101 00:08:13,660 --> 00:08:17,163 [Mariana] How many of these illegal casinos 102 00:08:17,163 --> 00:08:19,457 do you think exist in LA County? 103 00:08:24,212 --> 00:08:25,088 [Mariana] Wow. 104 00:08:26,881 --> 00:08:29,384 [Reporter] You're looking at security tape of SWAT officers 105 00:08:29,384 --> 00:08:32,470 serving a search warrant on an illegal gambling house 106 00:08:32,470 --> 00:08:34,597 inside an Anaheim furniture store. 107 00:08:34,597 --> 00:08:35,932 [Reporter] Dozens of people are busted 108 00:08:35,932 --> 00:08:38,727 in an alleged illegal gambling raid. 109 00:08:38,727 --> 00:08:40,520 [Reporter] Unregulated popup casinos 110 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:42,564 have been magnets for criminal activity. 111 00:08:42,564 --> 00:08:44,149 [Reporter] Sheriff's deputies are investigating 112 00:08:44,149 --> 00:08:45,400 the shooting death of a man 113 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,111 inside an illegal gambling establishment. 114 00:08:48,111 --> 00:08:50,405 [Reporter] A Brooklyn shootout that killed four people 115 00:08:50,405 --> 00:08:53,324 inside an illegal gambling club. 116 00:08:53,324 --> 00:08:56,161 [Mariana] Tonight's target is a type of illegal casino 117 00:08:56,161 --> 00:08:57,746 called a casita. 118 00:08:57,746 --> 00:09:00,206 Spanish for "little house." 119 00:09:00,206 --> 00:09:02,125 Casita profits aren't solely driven 120 00:09:02,125 --> 00:09:04,085 by old-fashioned card games 121 00:09:04,085 --> 00:09:07,255 but an upgrade in electronic gaming. 122 00:09:07,255 --> 00:09:10,633 [electronic whooshes and dings] 123 00:09:11,551 --> 00:09:12,761 [Officer] Okay. Stand by. 124 00:09:17,056 --> 00:09:22,854 [Mariana] The team spots one of the ringleaders, a woman, 125 00:09:22,854 --> 00:09:24,564 and decides to pursue her. 126 00:09:27,192 --> 00:09:28,318 [Juarez] Copy. 127 00:09:43,666 --> 00:09:45,627 [Mariana] Detective Juarez hopes this woman 128 00:09:45,627 --> 00:09:50,298 is going to lead his team to more casino locations. 129 00:09:50,298 --> 00:09:54,552 And if they're lucky, they'll take down the entire operation. 130 00:10:16,574 --> 00:10:18,451 [Mariana] The LA County Sheriff's Department 131 00:10:18,451 --> 00:10:20,161 is in pursuit of a woman 132 00:10:20,161 --> 00:10:23,373 suspected of running multiple underworld casinos. 133 00:10:57,574 --> 00:11:01,536 [Mariana] Detective Juarez lets the suspect get away for now. 134 00:11:01,536 --> 00:11:04,747 But nothing I witnessed tonight surprises me. 135 00:11:04,747 --> 00:11:07,208 [gaming machines burbling] 136 00:11:07,208 --> 00:11:09,127 ♪ ♪ 137 00:11:09,127 --> 00:11:12,672 Criminals and casinos have always gone hand in hand, 138 00:11:12,672 --> 00:11:16,092 perhaps most famously when a mobster named Bugsy Siegel 139 00:11:16,092 --> 00:11:19,053 helped build a city dedicated to gambling: 140 00:11:19,053 --> 00:11:20,513 Las Vegas, Nevada. 141 00:11:20,513 --> 00:11:24,767 ♪ I'm in love with a girl that I think is so fine ♪ 142 00:11:24,767 --> 00:11:29,063 [Mariana] Nevada was the first US state to legalize gambling. 143 00:11:29,063 --> 00:11:32,192 But, over time, Las Vegas cleaned up its act. 144 00:11:32,192 --> 00:11:34,777 They kicked out the mob. 145 00:11:34,777 --> 00:11:37,655 Then the corporations took over. 146 00:11:37,655 --> 00:11:42,202 Today, some form of gambling is legal in almost every state. 147 00:11:44,829 --> 00:11:48,958 And yet the underworld continues to take a piece of the action. 148 00:11:48,958 --> 00:11:51,669 [phone ringing] 149 00:11:51,669 --> 00:11:55,173 I want to know how it works, from the street-level games 150 00:11:55,173 --> 00:11:58,468 to the high roller events I heard about. 151 00:11:58,468 --> 00:12:01,638 But first, I need to find my way inside the scene. 152 00:12:03,181 --> 00:12:04,057 [Mariana] Hey, El. How are you doing? 153 00:12:07,226 --> 00:12:10,521 [Mariana] I'm about like five minutes from you now. 154 00:12:10,521 --> 00:12:13,399 We're close to South LA here. 155 00:12:13,399 --> 00:12:15,151 I'm going to meet a person, 156 00:12:15,151 --> 00:12:17,111 a contact that has some connections 157 00:12:17,111 --> 00:12:21,658 that run some of these operations. 158 00:12:21,658 --> 00:12:22,742 I think he might be here. 159 00:12:31,125 --> 00:12:32,460 [Mariana] So how does this game work? 160 00:12:32,460 --> 00:12:34,128 [Contact] It's just the typical rules of craps. 161 00:12:34,128 --> 00:12:36,923 You know, 7, 11, snake eyes. 162 00:12:36,923 --> 00:12:38,716 Your money has to be on the floor 163 00:12:38,716 --> 00:12:39,884 for the bet to be good, yeah. 164 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:50,144 [All] Ooh! 165 00:12:50,144 --> 00:12:51,604 [Gambler] Another one of you... 166 00:12:51,604 --> 00:12:52,939 [Mariana] Have you seen like more 167 00:12:52,939 --> 00:12:55,942 of these underground gambling facilities pop up? 168 00:12:55,942 --> 00:12:59,070 [Contact] I would most definitely say that. 169 00:12:59,070 --> 00:13:02,323 [Mariana] Do you think we'd be able to get access to one? 170 00:13:02,323 --> 00:13:04,409 [Contact] Those things are like more hush-hush. 171 00:13:04,409 --> 00:13:06,077 If you want to tap in to certain stuff, 172 00:13:06,077 --> 00:13:07,662 there's a way to tap in. 173 00:13:07,662 --> 00:13:10,540 [Mariana] I have no doubt he's right, but at the moment, 174 00:13:10,540 --> 00:13:13,376 I'm definitely not tapped in to the right people. 175 00:13:13,376 --> 00:13:17,213 So I reach out to my underworld contacts across the country. 176 00:13:17,213 --> 00:13:24,178 [phone ringing] 177 00:13:24,178 --> 00:13:26,347 [siren] 178 00:13:27,557 --> 00:13:28,683 [Mariana] Hey. Hi. 179 00:13:32,395 --> 00:13:34,272 [Mariana] They still, they're expecting us? 180 00:13:41,487 --> 00:13:42,947 [Mariana] I got the hood pass. Okay. 181 00:13:49,037 --> 00:13:50,413 [Mariana] It's becoming clear to me 182 00:13:50,413 --> 00:13:52,457 that the gambling underworld isn't controlled 183 00:13:52,457 --> 00:13:55,376 by a single criminal network. 184 00:13:55,376 --> 00:13:56,544 What's this game called? 185 00:13:56,544 --> 00:13:58,546 [Man] Four-five-six is the name of the game. 186 00:13:58,546 --> 00:14:00,631 Cee-lo. 187 00:14:00,631 --> 00:14:02,550 [Mariana] But just like the old casinos, 188 00:14:02,550 --> 00:14:05,595 gangsters are often the gatekeepers. 189 00:14:14,395 --> 00:14:16,022 [Mariana] So are these, a lot of these places 190 00:14:16,022 --> 00:14:18,232 controlled by gangs? 191 00:14:18,232 --> 00:14:21,194 Is there a lot of gang affiliation? 192 00:14:21,194 --> 00:14:22,070 You're looking at me... 193 00:14:23,738 --> 00:14:24,989 [Mariana] ...with intimidating eyes. 194 00:14:28,201 --> 00:14:30,078 [Mariana] Oh, I can see your eyes. 195 00:14:30,078 --> 00:14:34,373 The owner of this establishment tells me to call him Ray Ray 196 00:14:34,373 --> 00:14:37,710 and says he's a college graduate with a business degree. 197 00:14:37,710 --> 00:14:40,046 But he manages several dice games 198 00:14:40,046 --> 00:14:43,633 because, quite simply, they make a ton of money. 199 00:14:43,633 --> 00:14:45,676 Do people have to pay to come in here and play? 200 00:14:52,225 --> 00:14:54,185 [Mariana] So if there are so many legal options, 201 00:14:54,185 --> 00:14:55,311 places to go gamble, 202 00:14:55,311 --> 00:14:56,938 why do you think people prefer to come here? 203 00:15:14,580 --> 00:15:15,790 [Mariana] So is it, is it dangerous? 204 00:15:15,790 --> 00:15:16,791 Is it a dangerous business? 205 00:15:27,552 --> 00:15:29,720 [laughs] 206 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:31,597 [Mariana] Ray Ray tells me this is the reason 207 00:15:31,597 --> 00:15:35,017 why casino security is so tight. 208 00:15:35,017 --> 00:15:36,978 In LA, a lot of gambling facilities 209 00:15:36,978 --> 00:15:39,981 have to pay the Mexican Mafia to be able to operate there. 210 00:15:41,149 --> 00:15:42,233 [Mariana] Yeah. 211 00:15:42,233 --> 00:15:44,152 So, is there something similar here? 212 00:15:44,152 --> 00:15:45,486 Do you have to pay anyone? 213 00:15:53,995 --> 00:15:54,871 [Mariana] Got it. 214 00:15:58,791 --> 00:16:02,587 [Mariana] He refuses to tell me much more about his operation. 215 00:16:02,587 --> 00:16:05,089 But another one of my trusted Los Angeles sources 216 00:16:05,089 --> 00:16:05,965 comes through. 217 00:16:07,842 --> 00:16:11,512 [train horn blows] 218 00:16:11,512 --> 00:16:13,222 [bell ringing] 219 00:16:16,350 --> 00:16:18,394 [Mariana] We're meeting, um, a contact of mine 220 00:16:18,394 --> 00:16:21,606 that I've had here for, for many years now. 221 00:16:21,606 --> 00:16:24,025 He's an ex-convict. 222 00:16:24,025 --> 00:16:27,361 He's sort of linked to the Mexican Mafia. 223 00:16:27,361 --> 00:16:29,030 Gang member. 224 00:16:29,030 --> 00:16:31,324 This contact claims he can get me inside 225 00:16:31,324 --> 00:16:34,744 one of the underworld casinos, the casitas, 226 00:16:34,744 --> 00:16:37,288 that I've been hearing so much about. 227 00:16:37,288 --> 00:16:39,415 And it's kind of amazing just how hard it's been 228 00:16:39,415 --> 00:16:42,126 for us to get access to these casitas. 229 00:16:42,126 --> 00:16:43,753 But finally, tonight, 230 00:16:43,753 --> 00:16:46,589 it looks like something is going to happen. 231 00:16:46,589 --> 00:16:47,965 ♪ ♪ 232 00:16:47,965 --> 00:16:49,592 [airplane overhead] 233 00:16:49,592 --> 00:16:58,309 ♪ ♪ 234 00:17:11,030 --> 00:17:15,785 [siren] 235 00:17:15,785 --> 00:17:19,705 [Mariana] For weeks, I've been crisscrossing the country, 236 00:17:19,705 --> 00:17:21,874 searching for someone 237 00:17:21,874 --> 00:17:25,795 who can get me inside an invite-only illegal casino. 238 00:17:25,795 --> 00:17:27,296 [train horn blows] 239 00:17:30,591 --> 00:17:33,052 And tonight, one of my sources, 240 00:17:33,052 --> 00:17:36,597 an ex-con with links to the Mexican Mafia, 241 00:17:36,597 --> 00:17:39,767 finally comes through. 242 00:17:39,767 --> 00:17:41,269 Hey, [bleep]. 243 00:17:41,269 --> 00:17:42,853 How are you doing? 244 00:17:48,276 --> 00:17:54,699 ♪ ♪ 245 00:17:54,699 --> 00:17:58,411 [gaming machines burbling] 246 00:17:58,411 --> 00:17:59,453 ♪ ♪ 247 00:17:59,453 --> 00:18:02,707 [beeping and warbling] 248 00:18:06,252 --> 00:18:09,213 ♪ ♪ 249 00:18:09,213 --> 00:18:10,590 [Mariana] Do you say "welcome to Vegas" 250 00:18:10,590 --> 00:18:12,383 to everybody that walks in, or just me? 251 00:18:19,974 --> 00:18:21,934 [Mariana] The owner of this underground casino 252 00:18:21,934 --> 00:18:24,395 tells me to call him B. 253 00:18:24,395 --> 00:18:27,606 He says he owns three locations like this one, 254 00:18:27,606 --> 00:18:31,569 open 24 hours a day to keep up with demand. 255 00:18:31,569 --> 00:18:33,279 So this place, if we weren't here... 256 00:18:39,785 --> 00:18:41,954 [Mariana] This machine is called a fish game... 257 00:18:41,954 --> 00:18:43,497 [beeping] 258 00:18:43,497 --> 00:18:47,752 ...and it's the main attraction at many of these casitas. 259 00:18:47,752 --> 00:18:51,839 Casinos like this are also called slap-houses 260 00:18:51,839 --> 00:18:53,424 for obvious reasons. 261 00:18:53,424 --> 00:18:54,717 I can't go as fast as you can. 262 00:18:54,717 --> 00:18:56,260 That's insane. 263 00:18:56,260 --> 00:18:59,138 God, my hands are hurting already. 264 00:18:59,138 --> 00:19:01,474 These fish games are simple to play 265 00:19:01,474 --> 00:19:04,644 and are programmed to deliver a jackpot 266 00:19:04,644 --> 00:19:06,937 when enough money has been paid into the machine. 267 00:19:16,947 --> 00:19:17,865 [Mariana] Really? 268 00:19:20,409 --> 00:19:22,536 [Mariana] Wow. 269 00:19:22,536 --> 00:19:23,996 Kind of cheating a little bit, no? 270 00:19:27,625 --> 00:19:28,793 [Mariana] When you didn't have these businesses, 271 00:19:28,793 --> 00:19:30,002 what were you doing? 272 00:19:32,129 --> 00:19:33,255 [Mariana] How much money are you making here 273 00:19:33,255 --> 00:19:35,299 compared, how do you compare it to meth? 274 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:39,220 [Mariana] You're making much more money now? 275 00:19:39,220 --> 00:19:40,137 Like what? Double? 276 00:19:42,223 --> 00:19:46,727 [Mariana] B claims he's making about $240,000 a month 277 00:19:46,727 --> 00:19:48,688 from his three casitas. 278 00:19:48,688 --> 00:19:50,815 So this is way more profitable? 279 00:19:50,815 --> 00:19:51,732 Why is that? 280 00:20:05,121 --> 00:20:09,417 [Woman] I was gambling every day, 281 00:20:09,417 --> 00:20:11,043 morning, noon, and night, 282 00:20:11,043 --> 00:20:15,756 before work, after work, even at work. 283 00:20:17,842 --> 00:20:23,973 The casino noise, it drowns out your life. 284 00:20:23,973 --> 00:20:28,310 The bang, zoom, the lights, 285 00:20:28,310 --> 00:20:31,188 it drowns out everything that you need to hear. 286 00:20:32,982 --> 00:20:35,526 And I couldn't stop. 287 00:20:35,526 --> 00:20:36,944 I could not stop. 288 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:42,575 [Mariana] Scientists now know that gambling affects the brain 289 00:20:42,575 --> 00:20:44,493 much like drugs. 290 00:20:44,493 --> 00:20:47,413 When we gamble, our brains release dopamine, 291 00:20:47,413 --> 00:20:48,789 the "feel-good" chemical, 292 00:20:48,789 --> 00:20:51,500 and we experience a jolt of pleasure. 293 00:20:51,500 --> 00:20:54,295 ♪ ♪ 294 00:20:54,295 --> 00:20:57,840 But gambling is different than a drug-induced high, 295 00:20:57,840 --> 00:20:59,508 'cause dopamine is released 296 00:20:59,508 --> 00:21:03,053 regardless of whether we win or lose. 297 00:21:03,053 --> 00:21:06,807 It's the thrill of taking risks that triggers the pleasure. 298 00:21:06,807 --> 00:21:09,977 Today, an estimated three million Americans 299 00:21:09,977 --> 00:21:11,770 cannot stop gambling. 300 00:21:14,064 --> 00:21:16,650 [Man] Technically, I am an addict, you know? 301 00:21:16,650 --> 00:21:19,445 Probably by the book, I'm probably an addict. 302 00:21:22,865 --> 00:21:24,492 It's literally like a drug. 303 00:21:27,036 --> 00:21:30,873 Once it grips you, it grips you, and it's hard to let it go. 304 00:21:33,542 --> 00:21:34,835 I think social media 305 00:21:34,835 --> 00:21:37,546 is the biggest factor in all of this. 306 00:21:37,546 --> 00:21:39,340 - 43... - Yep. 307 00:21:39,340 --> 00:21:40,382 44... 308 00:21:40,382 --> 00:21:42,259 Those guys are the face of gambling, 309 00:21:42,259 --> 00:21:44,845 and everybody's following their plays, 310 00:21:44,845 --> 00:21:48,015 everybody is following their advice. 311 00:21:48,015 --> 00:21:50,059 [Mariana] Social media is littered with people 312 00:21:50,059 --> 00:21:53,729 who claim to be astonishingly successful gamblers. 313 00:21:53,729 --> 00:21:55,940 Like this guy. 314 00:21:55,940 --> 00:21:57,107 [Mikki Mase] It's like 408. 315 00:21:57,107 --> 00:21:58,484 [Man] $408,000. 316 00:21:58,484 --> 00:22:00,653 [Mikki] We're gonna try to make this a million. 317 00:22:00,653 --> 00:22:02,947 [Logan Paul] Tonight? 318 00:22:02,947 --> 00:22:05,783 [Mariana] His social media handle is dirtygothboi, 319 00:22:05,783 --> 00:22:07,701 but he goes by Mikki Mase. 320 00:22:07,701 --> 00:22:08,911 [Mikki] How much did I win? 321 00:22:08,911 --> 00:22:10,120 [Worker] You won $3.1 million, give or take. 322 00:22:10,120 --> 00:22:11,121 [Mikki] Thank you, man. 323 00:22:11,121 --> 00:22:12,414 [Mariana] And he's rumored to be 324 00:22:12,414 --> 00:22:16,335 one of Las Vegas' biggest winners of all time. 325 00:22:16,335 --> 00:22:17,920 [Worker] We're not gonna allow you to play here. 326 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:19,213 [Mikki] Why? 327 00:22:19,213 --> 00:22:20,923 [Worker] Because your play is too good for us. 328 00:22:20,923 --> 00:22:23,050 [Man] He racked it up for 373,000. 329 00:22:23,050 --> 00:22:24,593 [Mikki] Profit, 200,000. 330 00:22:24,593 --> 00:22:26,554 [Man] He took five grand and flipped it to 200 331 00:22:26,554 --> 00:22:28,931 before I knew what the [bleep] happened. 332 00:22:28,931 --> 00:22:31,058 [Mariana] Mikki claims to come from a long line 333 00:22:31,058 --> 00:22:33,227 of "degenerate gamblers." 334 00:22:33,227 --> 00:22:35,396 He also says he was a heroin addict, 335 00:22:35,396 --> 00:22:39,984 spent time in juvenile prison, and worked on Wall Street. 336 00:22:39,984 --> 00:22:41,193 [Mikki] So my number one game is baccarat, 337 00:22:41,193 --> 00:22:42,653 but it used to be blackjack. 338 00:22:42,653 --> 00:22:44,154 [Man] He allegedly wins a lot of money at a game 339 00:22:44,154 --> 00:22:46,323 that no one in the history of casino gambling has beaten. 340 00:22:46,323 --> 00:22:47,825 [Man] In the long term, you're always gonna lose. 341 00:22:47,825 --> 00:22:49,493 [Mikki] If that was true, then why am I banned 342 00:22:49,493 --> 00:22:51,829 from the city of Las Vegas? 343 00:22:51,829 --> 00:22:54,373 [Mariana] There's an old saying about gamblers: 344 00:22:54,373 --> 00:22:58,836 Always assume everyone's bluffing at all times. 345 00:22:58,836 --> 00:23:00,296 But Mikki promises to show me 346 00:23:00,296 --> 00:23:02,923 a side of the underworld gambling scene 347 00:23:02,923 --> 00:23:04,884 I can't even imagine. 348 00:23:10,347 --> 00:23:11,849 ♪ ♪ 349 00:23:11,849 --> 00:23:13,017 [Man] Oh, up top. 350 00:23:14,768 --> 00:23:16,937 [Mariana] I've been searching for a gambler who can get me 351 00:23:16,937 --> 00:23:20,649 inside the big money, high roller card games. 352 00:23:22,985 --> 00:23:26,447 Mikki Mase is exactly this kind of player. 353 00:23:26,447 --> 00:23:29,742 ♪ ♪ 354 00:23:29,742 --> 00:23:30,618 We're getting close. 355 00:23:33,078 --> 00:23:34,246 He's someone who's fled 356 00:23:34,246 --> 00:23:37,374 the legal, sanitized Sin City casinos. 357 00:23:40,294 --> 00:23:46,425 In fact, Mikki calls himself a Vegas exile. 358 00:23:46,425 --> 00:23:48,302 So you're, literally you cannot go 359 00:23:48,302 --> 00:23:49,470 to any of the casinos in Vegas? 360 00:23:49,470 --> 00:23:51,597 [Mikki] I'm allowed in two casinos. 361 00:23:51,597 --> 00:23:52,848 [Mariana] Why? 362 00:23:52,848 --> 00:23:53,974 [Mikki] Winning too much. 363 00:23:53,974 --> 00:23:57,144 ♪ ♪ 364 00:23:57,144 --> 00:23:58,646 They all say something different. 365 00:23:58,646 --> 00:23:59,688 Some of them simply say, 366 00:23:59,688 --> 00:24:00,856 "Never come back to our property," 367 00:24:00,856 --> 00:24:02,149 and hang up the phone. 368 00:24:02,149 --> 00:24:03,984 Some of them say, "You've won too much 369 00:24:03,984 --> 00:24:06,737 and you're not losing it back, and you're bad for business." 370 00:24:06,737 --> 00:24:08,364 And some have accused me of cheating, 371 00:24:08,364 --> 00:24:10,824 but they can't figure out how. 372 00:24:10,824 --> 00:24:12,868 [Mariana] What's the most amount of money you've ever won? 373 00:24:12,868 --> 00:24:14,620 [Mikki] The most I've ever won in one session? 374 00:24:14,620 --> 00:24:15,621 [Mariana] Yeah. 375 00:24:15,621 --> 00:24:17,665 [Mikki] $11,526,000. 376 00:24:20,167 --> 00:24:22,920 Every casino gives like a different bag 377 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:24,421 when you win in cash. 378 00:24:24,421 --> 00:24:25,881 They give it to you in hundred-dollar bills, 379 00:24:25,881 --> 00:24:27,966 and they give it to you like packed in cellophane, 380 00:24:27,966 --> 00:24:29,468 and it slides perfectly into this bag. 381 00:24:29,468 --> 00:24:31,970 [Man] Are you [bleep] kidding me? 382 00:24:31,970 --> 00:24:34,932 The [bleep] vacuum seals! 383 00:24:34,932 --> 00:24:36,642 [Mikki] The only way to acquire one of these 384 00:24:36,642 --> 00:24:38,727 is you have to win half a million dollars 385 00:24:38,727 --> 00:24:40,187 from the Venetian or the Palazzo. 386 00:24:40,187 --> 00:24:41,355 [Mariana] All these bags 387 00:24:41,355 --> 00:24:42,523 are half a million dollars that you won? 388 00:24:42,523 --> 00:24:44,233 [Mikki] Yeah, I have more. 389 00:24:44,233 --> 00:24:46,694 I even cleaned them out three times. 390 00:24:46,694 --> 00:24:48,779 So we took whatever bags they had on hand, 391 00:24:48,779 --> 00:24:50,364 and they still ran out of bags, 392 00:24:50,364 --> 00:24:52,449 so, we'd have to use like pillow cases. 393 00:24:52,449 --> 00:24:53,450 [Mariana] I contacted 394 00:24:53,450 --> 00:24:54,535 several Vegas casinos 395 00:24:54,535 --> 00:24:56,245 about Mikki's claims, 396 00:24:56,245 --> 00:24:59,748 but they told me they refuse to comment on a guest's status. 397 00:24:59,748 --> 00:25:03,335 [Mikki] As the last few casinos started banning me, I said, 398 00:25:03,335 --> 00:25:04,712 "I can't gamble in Vegas anymore. 399 00:25:04,712 --> 00:25:06,088 What else can I do?" 400 00:25:06,088 --> 00:25:07,339 And I have a lot of friends 401 00:25:07,339 --> 00:25:09,341 that I know play in these private poker games. 402 00:25:09,341 --> 00:25:12,469 And I went and like was immediately like just enthralled 403 00:25:12,469 --> 00:25:14,012 with the environment. 404 00:25:14,012 --> 00:25:16,765 ♪ ♪ 405 00:25:16,765 --> 00:25:22,020 Something that movies haven't even depicted accurately. 406 00:25:22,020 --> 00:25:24,732 Maybe one day a week consistently I'd play 407 00:25:24,732 --> 00:25:28,444 and I'll throw in like a second or third game sporadically, 408 00:25:28,444 --> 00:25:29,820 but I will also just stop by 409 00:25:29,820 --> 00:25:31,739 because I like the free food and the women. 410 00:25:31,739 --> 00:25:34,158 [Mariana] [laughing] Who doesn't? 411 00:25:34,158 --> 00:25:35,034 [Mikki] Yeah. 412 00:25:38,245 --> 00:25:40,581 In the super high stakes games, 413 00:25:40,581 --> 00:25:43,459 you'll rarely have like a physical threat. 414 00:25:43,459 --> 00:25:44,418 [gun cocks] 415 00:25:44,418 --> 00:25:45,961 But in the lower level games, 416 00:25:45,961 --> 00:25:50,090 people have been shot and stabbed during the game. 417 00:25:50,090 --> 00:25:53,427 There's a lot of gangbangers and drug dealers and pimps, 418 00:25:53,427 --> 00:25:54,928 and those kind of guys, 419 00:25:54,928 --> 00:25:57,639 there's really no telling what some of them will do. 420 00:25:57,639 --> 00:25:59,850 [Mariana] Tonight Mikki has promised to get me 421 00:25:59,850 --> 00:26:04,313 inside one of these invite-only events. 422 00:26:04,313 --> 00:26:06,023 It's a game that hosts a mix 423 00:26:06,023 --> 00:26:09,151 of poker pros and white-collar professionals, 424 00:26:09,151 --> 00:26:12,070 but also gang members and cartel associates. 425 00:26:15,699 --> 00:26:18,702 The meeting point is inside a high-end apartment building 426 00:26:18,702 --> 00:26:19,745 in Downtown LA. 427 00:26:19,745 --> 00:26:24,458 ♪ ♪ 428 00:26:24,458 --> 00:26:26,794 He's right there. 429 00:26:26,794 --> 00:26:28,462 So if I'm doing a story about illegal gambling, 430 00:26:28,462 --> 00:26:31,882 this is definitely the right place to be? 431 00:26:31,882 --> 00:26:36,094 [Mikki] I would say LA is the mecca of illegal gambling. 432 00:26:36,094 --> 00:26:41,183 ♪ ♪ 433 00:26:41,183 --> 00:26:42,810 [Mariana] Hi, how are you? Mariana. 434 00:26:42,810 --> 00:26:47,606 ♪ ♪ 435 00:26:47,606 --> 00:26:49,858 From the moment I enter the penthouse apartment, 436 00:26:49,858 --> 00:26:54,196 it's clear that this is not your typical casino. 437 00:26:54,196 --> 00:26:57,116 About 20 male players, including Mikki, 438 00:26:57,116 --> 00:26:59,743 are seated around three poker tables, 439 00:26:59,743 --> 00:27:02,538 while 10 scantily clad poker girls, 440 00:27:02,538 --> 00:27:06,041 as they're called, service their so-called "needs." 441 00:27:06,041 --> 00:27:08,168 And what are the girls doing? What's their job there? 442 00:27:08,168 --> 00:27:11,797 [Mikki] Well, their job title is like server and massage girl. 443 00:27:11,797 --> 00:27:13,841 A lot of the women know their tips are better 444 00:27:13,841 --> 00:27:15,175 with the less clothes they wear 445 00:27:15,175 --> 00:27:17,302 and the more action they take in the backroom. 446 00:27:17,302 --> 00:27:19,221 [Mariana] Which means sometimes sex? 447 00:27:19,221 --> 00:27:20,806 [Mikki] Sure. 448 00:27:20,806 --> 00:27:23,851 [Mariana] Unfortunately, we're inside for maybe five minutes 449 00:27:23,851 --> 00:27:26,728 when I'm told our cameras aren't welcome after all. 450 00:27:28,939 --> 00:27:30,315 Okay. Yeah? 451 00:27:30,315 --> 00:27:32,484 They've ushered us into the bathroom. 452 00:27:32,484 --> 00:27:34,945 I think it's one of the most frustrating moments for us 453 00:27:34,945 --> 00:27:36,280 just to be so close to the action 454 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:39,783 and yet not being able to actually see it. 455 00:27:39,783 --> 00:27:42,035 Luckily, I convince one of the poker girls 456 00:27:42,035 --> 00:27:44,830 to take a break and join me. 457 00:27:44,830 --> 00:27:46,415 When you first entered this world, 458 00:27:46,415 --> 00:27:47,833 was it shocking to you to find out? 459 00:27:47,833 --> 00:27:49,084 [Poker Girl] Yeah. 460 00:27:49,084 --> 00:27:51,587 I mean, given I came from like a lower income family, 461 00:27:51,587 --> 00:27:54,506 it's so crazy to see people gamble with money 462 00:27:54,506 --> 00:27:56,925 that's worth more than my parents' house. 463 00:27:56,925 --> 00:27:58,969 [Mariana] So how much money, more or less, 464 00:27:58,969 --> 00:28:00,762 do you make on a good night? 465 00:28:02,431 --> 00:28:03,724 [Poker Girl] On a good night 466 00:28:03,724 --> 00:28:08,770 I can make anywhere from like 2,000 to 2,500. 467 00:28:08,770 --> 00:28:11,148 The most I've made in a night is 5,000. 468 00:28:11,148 --> 00:28:12,149 [Mariana] That's pretty good money. 469 00:28:12,149 --> 00:28:13,609 - Yeah. - Yeah. 470 00:28:13,609 --> 00:28:15,777 Pretty good is an understatement. 471 00:28:15,777 --> 00:28:19,823 She says she pulls in roughly $40,000 a month, 472 00:28:19,823 --> 00:28:21,742 all of it made through tips, 473 00:28:21,742 --> 00:28:25,662 so it's off the books and presumably tax-free. 474 00:28:25,662 --> 00:28:29,625 [Poker Girl] I've never done anything extra in these games. 475 00:28:29,625 --> 00:28:30,834 [Mariana] Does that happen? 476 00:28:30,834 --> 00:28:33,086 [Poker Girl] Girls are full service, for sure. 477 00:28:33,086 --> 00:28:34,838 110%. 478 00:28:34,838 --> 00:28:37,215 Players know the girls that are, 479 00:28:37,215 --> 00:28:40,510 so you kind of get picked less and you kind of get tipped less. 480 00:28:40,510 --> 00:28:42,804 I think it's kind of like what you're willing to do, 481 00:28:42,804 --> 00:28:46,183 I guess, for some money. 482 00:28:46,183 --> 00:28:48,143 [Mariana] But the poker girls aren't the only ones here 483 00:28:48,143 --> 00:28:50,354 trying to earn a living. 484 00:28:50,354 --> 00:28:52,397 And so as a dealer, you make more money 485 00:28:52,397 --> 00:28:56,234 in the underground scene than you do in the regular casino? 486 00:28:56,234 --> 00:28:57,653 [Queen] A lot more. 487 00:28:57,653 --> 00:29:00,530 [Mariana] This is the Queen of Poker, 488 00:29:00,530 --> 00:29:02,532 as she likes to be called. 489 00:29:02,532 --> 00:29:04,618 She's a former Las Vegas dealer 490 00:29:04,618 --> 00:29:07,412 who now pursues more lucrative opportunities 491 00:29:07,412 --> 00:29:10,123 hosting her own illegal poker games. 492 00:29:10,123 --> 00:29:11,833 [Queen] This is my gaming room here. 493 00:29:11,833 --> 00:29:13,710 [Mariana] Whoa, that's a lot of people. 494 00:29:13,710 --> 00:29:15,253 [Queen] Yeah. 495 00:29:15,253 --> 00:29:17,214 [Mariana] I can go play poker with my friends if I want to, 496 00:29:17,214 --> 00:29:19,007 and that's not illegal, right? 497 00:29:19,007 --> 00:29:20,759 So what part of it is illegal? 498 00:29:20,759 --> 00:29:24,680 [Queen] The illegal part is taking the rake. 499 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:28,767 As the dealer runs the game, that's where the rake is taken, 500 00:29:28,767 --> 00:29:30,852 which is where the money is. 501 00:29:30,852 --> 00:29:32,020 [Mariana] I'm assuming the rake 502 00:29:32,020 --> 00:29:33,647 is, like, a percentage of what is being played? 503 00:29:33,647 --> 00:29:37,067 [Queen] Yeah, it's a percentage. Like at the casino. 504 00:29:37,067 --> 00:29:40,904 [Mariana] But only legal casinos are permitted to take a rake. 505 00:29:40,904 --> 00:29:45,534 Tonight's host will make roughly $80,000. 506 00:29:45,534 --> 00:29:48,161 So they're making a [bleep] ton of money. 507 00:29:48,161 --> 00:29:50,789 [shouting] [bleep] 508 00:29:50,789 --> 00:29:52,666 [bleep] [bleep] 509 00:29:52,666 --> 00:29:55,460 Suddenly we hear yelling from the other room. 510 00:29:56,670 --> 00:29:59,339 [shouting] 511 00:29:59,339 --> 00:30:01,591 [Mariana] [bleep] Okay. 512 00:30:12,519 --> 00:30:16,606 [siren] 513 00:30:20,569 --> 00:30:27,409 ♪ ♪ 514 00:30:35,292 --> 00:30:38,045 [Mariana] I've gained access to my first underground poker game. 515 00:30:45,343 --> 00:30:46,803 [Mariana] But instead of gambling, 516 00:30:46,803 --> 00:30:49,222 one of the players is making threats. 517 00:30:53,310 --> 00:30:55,228 [Mariana] Thankfully the out-of-control gambler 518 00:30:55,228 --> 00:30:58,774 is escorted from the penthouse. 519 00:30:58,774 --> 00:31:00,567 So let's talk about the drama. What happened? 520 00:31:00,567 --> 00:31:01,943 [Mikki] I don't know anything. I don't know. 521 00:31:01,943 --> 00:31:03,236 [Mariana] But there was a gun and there was a knife. 522 00:31:03,236 --> 00:31:04,237 [Mikki] I don't know. 523 00:31:04,237 --> 00:31:05,572 I don't know about a gun and a knife. 524 00:31:05,572 --> 00:31:06,907 I don't know anything. 525 00:31:06,907 --> 00:31:08,366 [Mariana] You mean you don't want to talk about it? 526 00:31:08,366 --> 00:31:10,577 [Mikki] No, there's nothing to talk about, I don't know. 527 00:31:10,577 --> 00:31:11,912 [Mariana] I mean, we all saw it. 528 00:31:11,912 --> 00:31:13,246 [Mikki] Well, I don't, then you can talk about it. 529 00:31:13,246 --> 00:31:14,498 I don't know. 530 00:31:14,498 --> 00:31:15,499 [Mariana] Okay, but that, 531 00:31:15,499 --> 00:31:16,708 has that scared people, do you think? 532 00:31:16,708 --> 00:31:17,918 That's why some people left? 533 00:31:17,918 --> 00:31:20,712 [Mikki] I don't know. 534 00:31:20,712 --> 00:31:21,588 [Mariana] Okay. 535 00:31:23,256 --> 00:31:25,967 It seems there's an unofficial code of silence 536 00:31:25,967 --> 00:31:27,803 around these games. 537 00:31:27,803 --> 00:31:29,721 But rumor has it that they were fighting 538 00:31:29,721 --> 00:31:33,600 over a $27,000 gambling debt. 539 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:37,062 Is it difficult for you to get people to pay what they owe you? 540 00:31:37,062 --> 00:31:39,356 [Queen] Yeah, because people are not carrying 541 00:31:39,356 --> 00:31:41,525 10,000, 20,000 in their pocket. 542 00:31:41,525 --> 00:31:43,068 You know? 543 00:31:43,068 --> 00:31:47,989 So you have to offer a credit or marker to keep a game going 544 00:31:47,989 --> 00:31:52,327 and make a good amount of money that's worth your time. 545 00:31:52,327 --> 00:31:55,080 [Mariana] How much money are you owed, you think? 546 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:56,623 [Queen] Half a million. 547 00:31:56,623 --> 00:31:58,708 [Mariana] You're owed half a million dollars? 548 00:31:58,708 --> 00:32:00,585 Do you think you'll get any of that money? 549 00:32:00,585 --> 00:32:02,045 [Queen] I'm working on it. 550 00:32:02,045 --> 00:32:04,005 [Mariana] Do you hire a person that can go and tell them? 551 00:32:04,005 --> 00:32:05,298 [Queen] There's collectors. 552 00:32:05,298 --> 00:32:06,675 [Mariana] Mm-hmm. 553 00:32:06,675 --> 00:32:07,926 [Gambler] Tell you what we doing. 554 00:32:07,926 --> 00:32:09,094 [Gambler] Back the [bleep]. What we gonna do? 555 00:32:09,094 --> 00:32:10,220 [Gambler] You don't know. 556 00:32:10,220 --> 00:32:11,555 [Gambler] You don't mother [bleep] know. 557 00:32:11,555 --> 00:32:13,431 [Mariana] This is what law enforcement 558 00:32:13,431 --> 00:32:15,016 is most concerned about. 559 00:32:15,016 --> 00:32:18,145 Not just the millions being made off the books, 560 00:32:18,145 --> 00:32:21,148 but the criminal activity associated with these games. 561 00:32:21,148 --> 00:32:22,983 [Newscaster] Illegal gambling now accounts 562 00:32:22,983 --> 00:32:27,362 for half of their murders so far this year. 563 00:32:27,362 --> 00:32:28,655 [Mariana] Have you ever heard of anyone, 564 00:32:28,655 --> 00:32:30,782 people that are contracted to be enforcers? 565 00:32:30,782 --> 00:32:32,951 [Mikki] Yeah, of course. Every day. 566 00:32:32,951 --> 00:32:34,995 [Mariana] Oh, that actually happens pretty often. 567 00:32:34,995 --> 00:32:36,830 [Mikki] Every day. 568 00:32:36,830 --> 00:32:38,915 Let's say you're at a game that's ran by the Russians. 569 00:32:38,915 --> 00:32:40,083 [Mariana] Mm-hmm. 570 00:32:40,083 --> 00:32:41,877 [Mikki] And you rob one of the Russians, 571 00:32:41,877 --> 00:32:44,421 they will bring somebody in from Russia to find you, 572 00:32:44,421 --> 00:32:47,340 collect the money, and then they return to Russia. 573 00:32:47,340 --> 00:32:48,550 [Mariana] Holy [bleep], that actually happens? 574 00:32:48,550 --> 00:32:50,093 [Mikki] Every day. 575 00:32:50,093 --> 00:32:54,055 [engine rumbling] 576 00:32:54,055 --> 00:32:55,265 [tires screech] 577 00:32:55,265 --> 00:33:00,353 [engine revving] 578 00:33:00,353 --> 00:33:02,439 [Mariana] The following evening, 579 00:33:02,439 --> 00:33:06,526 Mikki picks me up in a McLaren GT, 580 00:33:06,526 --> 00:33:09,154 a car with a very Mikki backstory. 581 00:33:11,907 --> 00:33:13,241 [Mikki] I had an argument 582 00:33:13,241 --> 00:33:15,577 with the vice president of one of the casinos. 583 00:33:15,577 --> 00:33:17,537 And so just to show him some attitude, 584 00:33:17,537 --> 00:33:19,706 I told him I was gonna win a million dollars that weekend 585 00:33:19,706 --> 00:33:21,374 and then go buy an exotic car. 586 00:33:21,374 --> 00:33:23,627 [Mariana] And you went back to the hotel and showed him. 587 00:33:23,627 --> 00:33:25,128 [Mikki] I parked it right in front. 588 00:33:25,128 --> 00:33:26,922 [engine revving] 589 00:33:26,922 --> 00:33:30,133 [Mariana] We're heading to a so-called "billionaire's game," 590 00:33:30,133 --> 00:33:33,053 an uber-exclusive poker game that Mikki plays 591 00:33:33,053 --> 00:33:35,138 in Beverly Hills. 592 00:33:35,138 --> 00:33:37,015 So this is a totally different ballgame 593 00:33:37,015 --> 00:33:38,642 from the game we went to the other day, right? 594 00:33:38,642 --> 00:33:43,063 [Mikki] 100%, it's not even, it's, like, not even comparable. 595 00:33:43,063 --> 00:33:44,522 Some people might end up buying in 596 00:33:44,522 --> 00:33:48,026 for maybe two or three million. 597 00:33:48,026 --> 00:33:50,654 [Mariana] Mikki tells me the game regularly hosts 598 00:33:50,654 --> 00:33:55,158 Hollywood A-listers, real estate moguls, oil tycoons, 599 00:33:55,158 --> 00:34:00,080 and even high level members of organized crime. 600 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:02,916 ♪ ♪ 601 00:34:02,916 --> 00:34:04,042 [Mikki] You'll definitely recognize them, 602 00:34:04,042 --> 00:34:05,877 and it's not impossible that a lot of them 603 00:34:05,877 --> 00:34:08,213 could possibly recognize you. 604 00:34:08,213 --> 00:34:09,798 [Mariana] That's got me a little worried, 605 00:34:09,798 --> 00:34:11,758 because to gain access, 606 00:34:11,758 --> 00:34:15,011 Mikki's told the game runners that I'm his friend. 607 00:34:15,011 --> 00:34:16,721 No one knows that I'm a journalist 608 00:34:16,721 --> 00:34:18,974 investigating black markets. 609 00:34:18,974 --> 00:34:20,433 [Mikki] And there'll be a line of questions: 610 00:34:20,433 --> 00:34:22,894 What's her skill level? How long have you known her? 611 00:34:22,894 --> 00:34:25,063 To get a gauge if you're an appropriate character 612 00:34:25,063 --> 00:34:28,358 to be in our secret environment. 613 00:34:28,358 --> 00:34:29,651 This is our secret world we have. 614 00:34:29,651 --> 00:34:30,735 [Mariana] Mm-hmm. 615 00:34:30,735 --> 00:34:31,736 [Mikki] And so to let an outsider in 616 00:34:31,736 --> 00:34:33,363 is a pretty big deal. 617 00:34:33,363 --> 00:34:35,991 [Mariana] Unfortunately the cameras will not be able 618 00:34:35,991 --> 00:34:37,701 to follow us inside. 619 00:34:41,037 --> 00:34:45,542 ♪ ♪ 620 00:34:45,542 --> 00:34:48,962 Despite all his legal winnings, I have yet to understand 621 00:34:48,962 --> 00:34:53,383 why Mikki prefers to play in private, off-the-books games. 622 00:34:53,383 --> 00:34:55,510 Which is my biggest question about this whole thing 623 00:34:55,510 --> 00:34:57,345 is why are there illegal gambling dens, 624 00:34:57,345 --> 00:35:01,891 if gambling in general is more and more legal 625 00:35:01,891 --> 00:35:03,268 in America, everywhere? 626 00:35:03,268 --> 00:35:04,436 [Mikki] There's a lot of reasons why. 627 00:35:04,436 --> 00:35:05,895 So if we're the ones controlling the game 628 00:35:05,895 --> 00:35:07,480 and we are essentially the casino, 629 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:10,817 we can not only dictate the rules of the game itself, 630 00:35:10,817 --> 00:35:12,861 but we also get the environment. 631 00:35:12,861 --> 00:35:15,655 ♪ ♪ 632 00:35:15,655 --> 00:35:17,532 You know, a lot of people want to party. 633 00:35:17,532 --> 00:35:20,577 We set up for certain women to be around. 634 00:35:20,577 --> 00:35:22,454 Politicians and movie producers 635 00:35:22,454 --> 00:35:24,706 and actors and hip hop artists and athletes, 636 00:35:24,706 --> 00:35:26,082 they all want a private place 637 00:35:26,082 --> 00:35:28,668 where they can just act however they want to act. 638 00:35:28,668 --> 00:35:35,800 ♪ ♪ 639 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:39,596 [Mariana] The US is home to roughly 700 billionaires, 640 00:35:39,596 --> 00:35:45,226 and tonight, according to Mikki, I'm looking at a few of them. 641 00:35:45,226 --> 00:35:48,855 I see 10 players seated around a large table. 642 00:35:48,855 --> 00:35:50,190 I can't name names, 643 00:35:50,190 --> 00:35:54,861 but there are some recognizable big shots present. 644 00:35:54,861 --> 00:35:59,616 Mikki says that there's at least $2 million at play. 645 00:35:59,616 --> 00:36:03,370 There's a chef serving whatever the player wants. 646 00:36:03,370 --> 00:36:05,705 There's champagne and single malts. 647 00:36:05,705 --> 00:36:06,915 Cigars. 648 00:36:06,915 --> 00:36:08,458 And though I don't see it, 649 00:36:08,458 --> 00:36:12,754 I'm told cocaine is also on the menu. 650 00:36:12,754 --> 00:36:17,884 Behind the players, about 20 seductively dressed women hover. 651 00:36:17,884 --> 00:36:20,261 And Mikki tells me that every once in a while 652 00:36:20,261 --> 00:36:21,846 the player will leave the table 653 00:36:21,846 --> 00:36:26,184 and head to a private room with one of these girls. 654 00:36:26,184 --> 00:36:28,937 And because of the money in play, tonight's host 655 00:36:28,937 --> 00:36:32,941 could be making hundreds of thousands of dollars. 656 00:36:32,941 --> 00:36:35,235 It's not just the rake that brings in money, 657 00:36:35,235 --> 00:36:36,694 it's the tips. 658 00:36:36,694 --> 00:36:39,739 Players tip the bartenders, the bookkeeper; 659 00:36:39,739 --> 00:36:43,535 each one of the girls can earn tens of thousands of dollars, 660 00:36:43,535 --> 00:36:47,288 and the house takes 50% of all of it. 661 00:36:47,288 --> 00:36:49,165 As I try to process this, 662 00:36:49,165 --> 00:36:52,293 one of the poker girls approaches me and says, 663 00:36:52,293 --> 00:36:55,755 "Your face is so familiar. Do I know you?" 664 00:36:55,755 --> 00:37:03,888 ♪ ♪ 665 00:37:04,764 --> 00:37:11,146 ♪ ♪ 666 00:37:11,146 --> 00:37:12,188 [door slams] 667 00:37:12,188 --> 00:37:14,274 Well, that was insane. 668 00:37:14,274 --> 00:37:17,610 Um, yeah, I mean, it was... 669 00:37:17,610 --> 00:37:19,612 I don't even know where to start. 670 00:37:19,612 --> 00:37:22,323 Mikki said that the guy that actually runs this game 671 00:37:22,323 --> 00:37:24,367 went up to him and said, "So she's with you, right?" 672 00:37:24,367 --> 00:37:26,286 And Mikki said, "Yeah, she's with me." 673 00:37:26,286 --> 00:37:28,705 "She looks like a cop. Is she a cop?" 674 00:37:28,705 --> 00:37:30,081 And then that was the moment 675 00:37:30,081 --> 00:37:32,959 that I thought it was a good idea to probably leave. 676 00:37:32,959 --> 00:37:37,088 And to think that these places exist and are all around town, 677 00:37:37,088 --> 00:37:38,715 particularly here in Beverly Hills 678 00:37:38,715 --> 00:37:40,675 surrounded by these mansions. 679 00:37:40,675 --> 00:37:42,177 it's a side of the city that I've never seen 680 00:37:42,177 --> 00:37:43,762 and I didn't think existed. 681 00:37:56,733 --> 00:37:57,901 [Mariana] This morning, 682 00:37:57,901 --> 00:38:00,778 close to 100 sheriff's department officers 683 00:38:00,778 --> 00:38:04,199 prepare to take down seven different targets. 684 00:38:04,199 --> 00:38:06,659 They're all linked to the same gambling operation 685 00:38:06,659 --> 00:38:09,788 Detective Juarez's team was surveilling. 686 00:38:09,788 --> 00:38:12,415 And I'm in the thick of it. 687 00:38:18,087 --> 00:38:30,058 ♪ ♪ 688 00:38:30,058 --> 00:38:32,852 [Mariana] So it's 6:00 a.m., 689 00:38:32,852 --> 00:38:34,646 we're a block away from the target 690 00:38:34,646 --> 00:38:36,981 in a armored vehicle, 691 00:38:36,981 --> 00:38:40,235 part of a convoy of about eight vehicles. 692 00:38:40,235 --> 00:38:43,112 A couple of bulletproof vehicles like this one. 693 00:38:43,112 --> 00:38:46,491 The LA County Sheriff's Department is rolling deep today 694 00:38:46,491 --> 00:38:50,119 because of the violent history of the casinos' security: 695 00:38:50,119 --> 00:38:51,621 the Mexican Mafia. 696 00:38:54,874 --> 00:38:57,168 You see them? They're going over the fence here. 697 00:38:57,168 --> 00:39:03,967 ♪ ♪ 698 00:39:03,967 --> 00:39:05,760 [glass breaking] 699 00:39:05,760 --> 00:39:06,844 [dog barking] 700 00:39:06,844 --> 00:39:08,471 So they just broke through the window 701 00:39:08,471 --> 00:39:11,599 and are going through. 702 00:39:11,599 --> 00:39:12,642 [bark] 703 00:39:12,642 --> 00:39:14,310 ♪ ♪ 704 00:39:14,310 --> 00:39:15,520 Oh, look. 705 00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:18,815 They just brought somebody out of the house. 706 00:39:18,815 --> 00:39:22,485 The detainees are a mix of Asians and Hispanics, 707 00:39:22,485 --> 00:39:25,572 but it's unclear to me which ones are the players 708 00:39:25,572 --> 00:39:27,782 versus the casino operators. 709 00:39:27,782 --> 00:39:31,286 They're arresting, I think, the ninth person right now. 710 00:39:31,286 --> 00:39:33,246 So 10 people believed to be in the house. 711 00:39:33,246 --> 00:39:35,748 Two of them apparently fled, one of them was caught, 712 00:39:35,748 --> 00:39:38,167 and the other one is still on the loose. 713 00:39:38,167 --> 00:39:39,210 ♪ ♪ 714 00:39:39,210 --> 00:39:42,338 [engine rumbling] 715 00:39:42,338 --> 00:39:45,508 ♪ ♪ 716 00:39:45,508 --> 00:39:49,512 While it's never been easier to legally gamble in America, 717 00:39:49,512 --> 00:39:53,808 the 10 people here are so desperate to scratch that itch, 718 00:39:53,808 --> 00:39:56,102 they're playing at an illegal casino 719 00:39:56,102 --> 00:40:00,148 at 6:00 a.m. on a weekday morning. 720 00:40:00,148 --> 00:40:01,566 It's a frightening reminder 721 00:40:01,566 --> 00:40:05,403 that compulsive gambling is called "the hidden addiction" 722 00:40:05,403 --> 00:40:07,655 because, unlike drugs and alcohol, 723 00:40:07,655 --> 00:40:10,033 there are no physical signs. 724 00:40:10,033 --> 00:40:12,410 [Michael] In the last year I gambled, 725 00:40:12,410 --> 00:40:17,874 I went through over $1 million of clients' money. 726 00:40:17,874 --> 00:40:22,045 And when I did that, I swore to God 727 00:40:22,045 --> 00:40:25,423 that I was gonna pay that money back. 728 00:40:25,423 --> 00:40:28,635 [Mariana] Perhaps because of the secrecy and shame, 729 00:40:28,635 --> 00:40:31,638 compulsive gambling has the highest suicide rates 730 00:40:31,638 --> 00:40:33,723 of all addictions. 731 00:40:33,723 --> 00:40:39,479 [Michael] I remember the night that I went down to the office, 732 00:40:39,479 --> 00:40:44,859 I had a client's gun, and I took that gun out of the cupboard 733 00:40:44,859 --> 00:40:48,696 and I was going to end my life. 734 00:40:48,696 --> 00:40:54,410 [Woman] [sighs] I remember, um... mm... 735 00:40:54,410 --> 00:40:57,121 calling the suicide hotline 736 00:40:57,121 --> 00:41:01,417 and I wanted to kill myself, I really did. 737 00:41:01,417 --> 00:41:02,794 [phone ringing] 738 00:41:02,794 --> 00:41:04,796 The phone rang... 739 00:41:04,796 --> 00:41:06,673 and it rang and it rang. 740 00:41:06,673 --> 00:41:08,132 [ringing] 741 00:41:08,132 --> 00:41:10,718 And I said, "God, if you help me, 742 00:41:10,718 --> 00:41:14,639 if you help me, I will do what's right." 743 00:41:14,639 --> 00:41:16,224 [Mariana] These two recovering addicts 744 00:41:16,224 --> 00:41:18,810 never gambled at an illegal casino. 745 00:41:18,810 --> 00:41:21,229 They didn't have to. 746 00:41:21,229 --> 00:41:25,608 It turns out America's most destructive gambling market 747 00:41:25,608 --> 00:41:28,277 may not be the one I've been following, 748 00:41:28,277 --> 00:41:31,072 the one that's happening in the shadows. 749 00:41:31,072 --> 00:41:32,949 It's the one that announces itself 750 00:41:32,949 --> 00:41:35,576 with bold, flashing lights. 751 00:41:35,576 --> 00:41:36,744 [Les Bernal] Predatory gambling 752 00:41:36,744 --> 00:41:39,872 is America's most neglected major problem. 753 00:41:39,872 --> 00:41:42,625 Right now you have advertising and marketing 754 00:41:42,625 --> 00:41:44,335 encouraging citizens to do this. 755 00:41:44,335 --> 00:41:46,129 [Gambler] Blackjack! Blackjack! 756 00:41:46,129 --> 00:41:47,797 [Les] Just to participate in a business 757 00:41:47,797 --> 00:41:51,342 that ultimately is gonna get them fleeced. 758 00:41:51,342 --> 00:41:53,010 [Mariana] Les Bernal is the director 759 00:41:53,010 --> 00:41:55,221 of Stop Predatory Gambling, 760 00:41:55,221 --> 00:41:56,931 a national advocacy network 761 00:41:56,931 --> 00:41:58,891 committed to exposing the truth 762 00:41:58,891 --> 00:42:01,144 about America's state-sanctioned gambling. 763 00:42:01,144 --> 00:42:03,062 [Les] This is a public policy 764 00:42:03,062 --> 00:42:06,774 that's based on cheating and exploiting citizens. 765 00:42:06,774 --> 00:42:09,861 This financial exchange is a lure that you might win money. 766 00:42:09,861 --> 00:42:10,987 All right? 767 00:42:10,987 --> 00:42:12,655 But it's mathematically stacked against you, 768 00:42:12,655 --> 00:42:14,574 so the longer you participate in it, 769 00:42:14,574 --> 00:42:16,367 the more money you spend in it, 770 00:42:16,367 --> 00:42:18,453 in the long term, it's not a question 771 00:42:18,453 --> 00:42:20,496 of if you're gonna end up losing all of your money; 772 00:42:20,496 --> 00:42:22,081 it's an absolute certainty 773 00:42:22,081 --> 00:42:23,666 you're gonna lose all your money. 774 00:42:23,666 --> 00:42:25,543 [Mariana] And while I've been trying to understand 775 00:42:25,543 --> 00:42:28,337 why the black market even exists, 776 00:42:28,337 --> 00:42:32,550 Les claims the answer is quite simple. 777 00:42:32,550 --> 00:42:36,179 [Les] You wouldn't have the massive amount 778 00:42:36,179 --> 00:42:38,723 of illegal gambling happening today 779 00:42:38,723 --> 00:42:42,769 if it wasn't for state-sanctioned gambling. 780 00:42:42,769 --> 00:42:44,270 It's normalized gambling. 781 00:42:46,773 --> 00:42:49,025 If you ask anybody in the illegal gambling business, 782 00:42:49,025 --> 00:42:53,196 "Hey, is it a good thing that states are promoting gambling?" 783 00:42:53,196 --> 00:42:55,490 to a person, every single one of them 784 00:42:55,490 --> 00:42:58,701 would say, "Absolutely, it's great for business." 785 00:42:58,701 --> 00:42:59,911 [Mariana] According to Les, 786 00:42:59,911 --> 00:43:02,371 the biggest difference between these markets 787 00:43:02,371 --> 00:43:06,876 is that one of them receives the blessing of state officials. 788 00:43:06,876 --> 00:43:08,419 [Les] We sell $100 scratch tickets 789 00:43:08,419 --> 00:43:10,755 to people making $7.25 an hour. 790 00:43:10,755 --> 00:43:12,215 That's a government program. 791 00:43:12,215 --> 00:43:14,217 They're encouraging people to play a product 792 00:43:14,217 --> 00:43:16,511 that has been identified as addictive 793 00:43:16,511 --> 00:43:19,263 as opioids and cocaine. 794 00:43:19,263 --> 00:43:24,435 The business model is based on turning citizens into addicts. 795 00:43:24,435 --> 00:43:26,020 [Mariana] But while the US government 796 00:43:26,020 --> 00:43:29,023 spends more than $1 billion each year 797 00:43:29,023 --> 00:43:32,276 on treatments for drug and alcohol abuse, 798 00:43:32,276 --> 00:43:35,363 there's not a single cent of federal funding 799 00:43:35,363 --> 00:43:38,866 spent on America's growing gambling addiction. 800 00:43:41,661 --> 00:43:45,289 ♪ ♪ 801 00:43:45,289 --> 00:43:47,208 [Michael] I had my first big win 802 00:43:47,208 --> 00:43:52,296 at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas, 803 00:43:52,296 --> 00:43:56,384 and it's absolutely the worst thing that can happen to you.