Monday February 11 at 9.30pm
Louis Theroux Vegas Hotel
VIDEO -Preview this episode (0:20)With a long-held love for the City of Sin, the genial LouisTheroux heads to Las Vegas to meet the people prepared to bet theirbottom dollar.
From the casino moguls to the slot slaves, Louis finds the peoplewho are building the 'new' Las Vegas.
He reveals the world behind the myths of casino culture and meetsthe gamblers, high rollers and casino men who keep this town in themiddle of the desert green with money.
Based in the Hilton, once the biggest hotel in the world,where Elvis used to play, Louis immerses himself in theother-worldly glamour and excitement of a major Vegas resort.Needless to say, nothing is quite what it seems. Once the biggesthotel in the world, it is Old School Vegas with a facelift. This isthe casino where Elvis played over 800 consecutive shows and whereBarry Manilow still packs out the theatrewhenever he's in town.
Louis meets Richard Wilk, the Hilton's smooth-talking'Super Host', who prides himself on his ability to say yes to hisclients. Louis hangs out with Richard's high-rolling 'whales',including Allan, who flies in from Canada just to party in a$25,000 suite (the biggest in North America), ready to blow$200,000 or more over the weekend.
Louis makes his way past the dancing girls and flashing lights tofind Martha, a glamorous septuagenarian who spends at least $1,000a day on the slots. She hasn't missed a day in 10 years and haslost $4m.
There's also John and Tim, Vegas regulars who take Louis undertheir wing as he nervously gambles his own money on one very longnight on the blackjack table. They walk away at 5am... but are theywinners?
Louis also learns how to play Baccarat, how to lose his money but also,sometimes, how to win, and watches as people leave theirinhibitions at home - and their money in Vegas.
Louis Theroux Las Vegas
Directed by Stuart Cabb. With Louis Theroux, Richard Wilk. Louis Theroux goes to the heart of gambling culture in Las Vegas. Louis Theroux heads to Las Vegas, the fastest growing city in America, to take a look at the pastime that made it famous and meet the gamblers, the high rollers and the casino men who keep this. So, from the Westboro Baptist Church to the gambling addicts of Las Vegas, let’s catch up with the stars of Louis Theroux’s biggest shows to date. Allan Erlick – Gambling in Las Vegas Allan Erlick. Louis Theroux's Gambling in Las Vegas documentary is available to watch on the BBC iPlayer. For those outside the UK, you can view the full documentary for free at Daily motion. The documentary takes us to the legendary Las Vegas Hilton. Back in the 1960s and 70s this casino and hotel had Elvis as their headline act.