Why Dana White Got Called An Elite Loser

Here’s the thing about Dana White and his gambling problem: it’s not that he doesn’t have the money. It’s that he owes so much money to people who basically let him get away with it. That’s what made him a “major loser” in the eyes of industry observers, not necessarily because he’s bad at cards.

Dana White’s $30 Million Problem

Let’s start with the actual number, because it’s genuinely hard to wrap your head around. Reports from September 2025 suggest White owes Red Rock Casino somewhere between $25 million and $50 million in gambling debts, with some sources pointing closer to $30 million. To put that in perspective, White has a net worth around $500-600 million, so this isn’t exactly breaking the bank. But it’s still a staggering amount of money owed to one casino.

What makes White a “major loser” isn’t necessarily the amount, it’s the commentary around it that stings. A VIP handler quoted by The Hollywood Reporter said White’s debt represents “a world-class number, just elite-level losing.” They went on to paint a pretty damning picture: “If you or I owed Red Rock $100,000 and didn’t pay, the DA’s office would be involved.” The contrast is stark. Regular people would face actual legal consequences. White gets to keep playing baccarat.

When Your Friends Own the Casino – Dana White’s Messy Relationship With Red Rock

The debts stem from White’s high-stakes gambling sessions at Red Rock Casino in Summerlin, Nevada, primarily playing baccarat and blackjack. According to a former casino executive, his escalation has been obvious to anyone watching. They described the progression from his blackjack days to his current baccarat obsession as “like going from cocaine to heroin.” White started out placing $75,000 blackjack bets, wasn’t satisfied with that, moved to $300,000 in baccarat, and now regularly bets $400,000 per hand – all while complaining that the casino won’t let him go even higher.

Here’s where the real issue comes in: Red Rock Resorts is owned by brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, longtime friends and business partners of White. They made billions on the UFC thanks largely to White’s work building it up, then sold it for a massive profit. Now they own the casino where he’s in debt to them. It’s cozy, to say the least.

The Fertittas have significant control over the company, so they’re answerable largely to themselves when it comes to collecting debts. Attorney Behnam Dayanim, who works with gaming compliance clients, explained it plainly: “Ultimately, this is up to management to decide.” Translation: they can collect whenever they want, or not at all.

This creates a messy situation that doesn’t sit right with gaming regulators. Richard Schuetz, an experienced gambling industry executive who’s worked with various gaming commissions, pointed out that casino operators have a fiduciary duty to the state. Nevada receives about 6.75 percent of gaming revenue, and regulators want to maintain the integrity of the system while also getting their cut of the action.

Inside Dana White’s Gambling Spiral and Why Nobody’s Collecting

White has pushed back hard against the reporting. In November 2025, he called the stories “pure clickbait” and claimed Red Rock Resorts confirmed the reports were false. Here’s the thing though: Red Rock is subject to strict truthfulness standards in Nevada because it holds a gaming license. Despite questions from both Casino.org and The Hollywood Reporter, the company hasn’t publicly responded to clarify whether the debts exist or what the actual amount might be.

The whole saga got even wilder when 60 Minutes filmed White at the Bellagio playing baccarat in September 2025. He placed $400,000 bets while complaining that the casino wouldn’t let him play $1 million hands. Within minutes, he was down $1.2 million. Then, in a dramatic swing, he managed to walk away up $700,000. That’s the kind of volatility that would make most people question their entire life, but White just shrugged and said, “I’m a sick, sick guy.”

What makes all this relevant beyond just gossip is that White sits on Meta’s board, is closely connected to high-profile figures like Donald Trump, and has major influence over major media deals involving the UFC. His personal finances and behavior choices suddenly become issues that impact corporations and their shareholders. When you’ve got a guy in that position carrying tens of millions in unpaid debts to a casino owned by his buddies, it creates questions.