Mafiosos and death threats were common in her high-stakes poker business
Appearing recently on the popular The Diary of a CEO podcast with host Steven Bartlett, Molly Bloom shared additional details about the notorious Hollywood home games that jeopardized her freedom and life. She told her story in Molly’s Game, an autobiography that’s also a hit movie starring Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba.
Known as the “Poker Princess,” she helped operate high-stakes poker games involving Hollywood celebrities Ben Affleck, Tobey Maguire and a few billionaire entrepreneurs. Bloom explained to Bartlett how she’d run financial and background checks on future players in the 2010s due to the amount of money and high-profile players involved.
After moving the game across the country to the Plaza Hotel in New York City, she came under investigation by the feds, where she admitted illegally collecting rake from the pots. Bloom says she was making over $4 million per year running these games, which attracted the attention of the Italian mob who wanted a cut of the profits.
When one of these mobsters contacted her to collect part of the profits, she politely declined, which caused serious problems for the game and put her life at risk. “They sent this terrifying guy to my apartment that put a gun in my mouth, something that you just never forget, and he beat the hell outta me and took everything in my safe, including photographs, a couple things that I had from my grandmother,” said Bloom.
Luckily, those gangsters were arrested soon after and never heard from again. Bloom was ultimately sentenced to probation in May 2014 after confessing that she was one of the key players in the illegal $100 million gambling operation.
Editor-in-Chief of the Big Blind, a prominent gambling industry publication, brings 30+ years of journalism experience to his role. His vision emphasizes clarity, accessibility, and responsible journalism, making the Big Blind a trusted source in the online gambling sector.
