Sports writer Steve Taggart volunteers to do a series of articles for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner about a compulsive sports and casino gambler he calls "Mr. Green", who is in fact himself. His editor John Saxon enthusiastically assigns Taggart the gambling series, which soon attracts a large readership interest. Taggart becomes more obsessed with gambling in Las Vegas, which lands him even more deeply in debt. He compounds his money and gambling problems by dealing with associated loan sharks, including the mean and dangerous L.A. bookmaker known as "The Dutchman". Taggart soon learns that even a local pro football quarterback, whose football team he covers, is also on the Dutchman's payroll - as a means of cutting his own sports gambling debts. After clearing the story further with his sports editor, Taggart journeys to Las Vegas for a field report on his gambling series; through a casino owner he meets a sexy casino cocktail hostess named Flo. Loving the tables, at Flo's urging he gambles with her at roulette and wins. Taggart also checks out assorted Las Vegas bookmakers, including Leroy's. Taggart meets various Vegas gambling and business figures, including famed Las Vegas Sun publisher Hank Greenspun, for more insights into the Las Vegas gambling world. He is unaware that the Dutchman's tough guy enforcer, "Panama Hat", is following him, until "The Hat" confronts him at the hotel pool as Taggart attempts to relax on a chaise longue. Panama Hat orders Taggart to return to Los Angeles immediately, and settle up with the Dutchman, or there will be dire consequences. Taggart's risk-addiction and perennial gambling money-losses ultimately spill over into his personal life. After a day trip to Knott's Berry Farm Taggart brings his young daughter to Hollywood Park; at the track pressbox, they chat with his colleagues, including famed Los Angeles newspaper sportswriters, the L.A. Times Jim Murray and the L.A. Herald Examiner's Alan Malamud. Taggart, while trying to stem his gambling while at the racetrack, is physically assaulted by a track-goer to whom he owes money. Reporting to work the next day at the Herald Examiner, his editor says he loves the "Mr. Green" series, and foolishly advances Taggart $10,000 dollars for "Mr. Green" to use as seed money for more gambling. Upon more reflection on how truly dangerous sports gambling can be, Taggart visits Gamblers Anonymous in order to end his gambling compulsion. Taggart still returns to Las Vegas, where he becomes increasingly acquainted with high-roller Charley Peru, in hopes of making a large score and breaking even. He also hopes Peru can help him get Panama Hat off Taggart's back. Eventually Taggart decides to stop gambling "forever". Returning to Los Angeles, to celebrate "kicking" his gambling habit, Taggart places a few dollars into a slot machine at the Las Vegas Airport, where he magically scores a huge jackpot. Taggart immediately gets an attorney to hold the huge score in trust fund for his daughter. When he asks the attorney to reassure him "that even I cannot touch the money?", his attorney replies, "especially, not you."
Richard Brooks became interested in the problem of gambling in America while recovering from a heart attack in 1983. He began researching the topic and wrote the script over two years. It was originally to be produced by Dino de Laurentiis under the title The Fever and Brooks wanted Sam Shepard to play the lead. De Laurentiis dropped out and Ryan O'Neal was cast instead. Filming took place from October 1984 to January 1985 and Brooks spent nine months editing it. The newspaper editorial office scenes were all filmed at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, which always had a popular horse racing page, and solid sports gambling coverage. Many Herald Examiner and Los Angeles Times staffers had bit parts in the movie. The Los Angeles Herald Examiner newspaper closed in 1989.
