How Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ could impact gamblers
A Nevada lawmaker and a downtown Las Vegas casino owner are among those united in opposition to a provision in the federal budget bill that would limit declarable losses for gamblers.
U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., and Derek Stevens, co-owner of Circa, The D and Golden Gate hotel-casinos, apparently share similar concerns about an amendment inserted in what President Donald Trump has dubbed the “big, beautiful bill,” that would essentially hamper high-limit and professional gamblers from realizing any federal tax benefits as a result of declared losses.
“Buried within the BS Republican Budget bill is a provision that harms poker players and those who gamble by limiting loss deductions,” Titus posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday morning. “I’m working on a legislative fix that fairly treats gaming losses in the tax code.”
Stevens, who hosted Trump at Circa in January when the president was politicking to eliminate federal taxes for tipped employees such as table games dealers and cocktail servers, re-posted Titus’ sentiment within minutes. The casino owner could not be reached for comment.
Buried within the BS Republican Budget bill is a provision that harms poker players and those who gamble by limiting loss deductions. I’m working on a legislative fix that fairly treats gaming losses in the tax code.
— Dina Titus (@repdinatitus) July 2, 2025
On Wednesday afternoon, Titus doubled-down, saying “anti-gambling provision” in the proposed budget “screws over folks who live and visit my district, the casino capital of the world, Las Vegas.”
“This is just another attack on gaming and tourism and on districts like mine that rely on these industries,” she said. “This also punishes people who are trying to do the right thing by reporting gambling on their taxes, pushing them towards offshore outlets and the predictions market, which unlike legitimate gambling sources, do not invest in bricks and mortar, pay state taxes, hire union labor, or contribute to problem gaming efforts.”
Titus told the Review-Journal that “given the chance” she would introduce an amendment to maintain the current loss deduction.
“If Republicans are unwilling to accept this amendment, I will pursue stand-alone legislation to fix this bad policy,” Titus said.
On Thursday, hours before the House narrowly passed the bill, Titus told a cable news station that the provision will “push people to the black market.”
“It’s bad for the (gaming) industry and it’s bad for the player,” she said.
The amendment was included by U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho. It seeks to limit the amount gamblers are able to deduct from their winnings to 90 percent of losses. So, if, for example, someone won $100,000 during a trip to a Las Vegas casino but lost $100,000 for the year, they would have to pay taxes on $10,000 rather than pay zero under the current tax code.
Gambling and casino industry experts agree that the proposed tax code changes would make it more difficult for professional gamblers, such as poker players and sports bettors, to turn a profit. The concern among many in the gaming industry is that those players would turn to unregulated or offshore online casinos, which would negatively impact domestic markets such as Las Vegas and Reno.
The budget bill now heads to Trump’s desk, where it awaits his signature. Trump is expected to sign the legislation on July 4.
The gambling tax code changes would go into effect next year.
Contact David Danzis at ddanzis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0378. Follow @AC2Vegas_Danzis on X.
