Houston business leader and Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is letting cameras behind the scenes at his iconic gambling den, the Golden Nugget, in a new reality series called Secret Life of a Vegas Casino. The show premiered on September 29 on the Discovery Channel, with new episodes airing every Tuesday at 8 pm through October 27.

For obvious reasons, running a casino can be a pretty opaque business. Large sums of money, plenty of alcohol, and the thrill of gambling often result in the exuberance that powered the "What happens here, stays here" marketing campaign.

For the first time, Fertitta is offering access to the backstage area of the Golden Nugget Las Vegas, which he bought in 2005 along with the Laughlin, Nevada location for $295 million. Fertitta spruced up the casino, which celebrated its 80th anniversary this August, adding three new locations in the subsequent decades and an online gambling component. Golden Nugget is by most measures bigger than it has ever been.

Big success comes with big messes, though. The show will highlight the hijinks that occur on the property, from naked guests in the hotel hallways to chasing down chip thieves to the emergency movement of the residents of the 200,000-gallon shark tank. Security and operation personnel scramble to keep high rollers happy and troublemakers outside of the doors. The show approaches every problem with good humor and the rueful attitude of professionals who have seen it all.

Fertitta has not made it on screen as part of the show — after all, he's pretty business as America's ambassador to Italy — but it's possible this could be the first step in a new reality brand. The Landry's owner and NBA powerhouse has continued to expand his gambling empire, recently acquiring Caesar's Palace as part of an almost $18 billion deal. As shenanigans follow slot machines the way ants follow spilled sugar, there should be plenty of drama in spin-offs should Secret Life of a Las Vegas Casino find a large audience.