On episode #2305 of The Joe Rogan Experience, what started off as a hilarious anecdote about slot machines rapidly turned into an eye-opening admission about UFC CEO Dana White‘s notorious gambling addiction. Guest Rich Vos admitted that he has issues with understanding when to walk away from a triumph, saying, “I keep playing. I think I’ll get more. I think I’ll hit the big one.” The UFC commentator responded with a knowing laugh: “That’s how they get you.” But then came the kicker—a candid and unfiltered moment where Joe Rogan moved the subject to his wealthy and impulsive friend, Dana White.
And the JRE host ensured that he did not hold back. “Okay, I have a friend who’s very wealthy and is a f—— degenerate gambler—Dana White. Degenerate. He’s a nut,” he stated. The tone wasn’t judgmental, just blunt, as the UFC commentator described White’s undeniable love for the rush. According to Joe Rogan, the UFC head honcho’s gambling addiction once prompted UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell to plead with him to stop. The JRE host revealed, “I was just reading an article about Hunter Campbell… just saying, ‘You’re killing me. Why are you doing this?’ He loves it. Loves it.”
Even Vos, who has felt the same attraction, chipped in, mentioning the weird exhilaration that remains even after losing. A moment that Joe Rogan surely is aware of, as he added, “It makes you feel like you’re alive.” Dana White‘s high-stakes gambling habit is no longer a secret. The UFC head honcho has been on live shows with the Nelk Boys, claimed to losing millions in a single night, and has even been unofficially prohibited from casinos—not for losing, but for winning excessively. One of his most well-known streaks includes a staggering $26-$27 million gain in just three months playing baccarat at Caesar’s Palace.
LAS VEGAS, NV – March 3: Dana White at the ceremonial weigh-ins at MGM Grand Garden Arena for UFC 285 -Jones vs Gane : Ceremonial Weigh-ins on March 3, 2023 in Las Vegas, NV, United States. Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages Louis Grasse / SPP PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxBRAxMEX Copyright: xLouisxGrassex/xSPPx SPP_156457
Despite going away with $300,000 in one sitting, White once admitted that he was angry with himself for not playing more aggressively. “I was pi–ed off at myself last night… I should have won a million,” he admitted in an interview, criticizing his conservative play on fasting. That’s the mindset of a self-aware but hopeless gambler—always wondering what may have been. But it is also worth noting that the UFC head honcho has also lost major amounts to the habit. In fact, he once lost half a million dollars. But how?
Dana White’s habit once cost him over $500,000
It’s one thing to express regret for not winning more, but it’s a very different story when the defeat is heartbreaking. Dana White’s self-reflection on his “conservative” $300,000 win may indicate that he is finally realizing the risk for what it is. But, according to Joe Rogan, little has changed. In fact, the JRE host’s depiction of a recent visit to one of White’s gaming sessions conjures a picture that is far from cautious—and more like chaos itself dressed up in a dapper suit. What happened next made even Joe Rogan, the legendary man who had witnessed it all, feel genuinely uncomfortable.
On an earlier JRE episode, Joe Rogan told country musician Luke Bryan about how he and a few friends, including comic Shane Gillis, stopped by to see the UFC head honcho while he was in a gambling session. To their surprise, Dana White was already down $600,000. “I was getting anxiety just sitting there watching,” Rogan said. You could practically hear the stress in his voice as he described how Taylor Lewan, Dana’s close friend, pulled up a chair to join the mayhem. According to the UFC commentator, White began directing Lewan through the game like a coach on the sidelines, but instead of strategy leading to success, it resulted in another $120,000 down the drain in a matter of minutes.
Most people would be devastated to lose that much money. But the UFC CEO doesn’t just play the game; he embraces it. Even when the chips fall hard, he handles it with an adrenaline-fueled defiance, as if the rush is more important than the grim end his finance met that night. And, while the rest of his amazing net worth provides him with a buffer to absorb those blows, Joe Rogan’s reaction is telling—because when someone like Joe, who is used to being around odd millionaires and emotional events, begins to experience secondhand anxiety as a result of your decisions, you know you’ve reached another level. What do you think? Is Dana White going too far? Let us know in the comments.
The post Self-Proclaimed “Degenerate Gambler” Dana White Puts Hunter Campbell in a Fix as Joe Rogan Comes Clean on UFC CEO’s Habits appeared first on EssentiallySports.
