Dana White Asks Trump To Help Reverse 90% Gambling Loss Rule

Dana White has asked President Donald Trump to support a change to the new gambling tax deduction rule, arguing that the policy hurts bettors, Nevada workers, and the legal betting market.

Good to Know

• Bettors can now deduct only 90% of gambling losses against winnings.
• The rule took effect on Jan. 1 after being added to the One Big Beautiful Bill in July 2025.
• White says the policy pushes some bettors toward unregulated betting sites.

White sent a May 11 letter to Trump, obtained by gambling insider Dustin Gouker, after months of concern around the new gambling deductions law. The UFC president and CEO said Congress should reverse the provision because it can leave bettors with a tax bill even when their wins and losses cancel each other out.

Previously, gamblers could deduct losses up to 100% of winnings. Losses above winnings could not reduce other taxable income. Under the new 90% cap, a bettor can break even and still owe tax on part of the winnings.

White Warns Legal Betting Could Lose Customers

White praised Trump for getting the One Big Beautiful Bill passed, but urged him to back a fix. He argued that “fixing this deduction issue would send a strong signal that the United States supports common-sense regulation.”

White wrote:

“I believe Congress should fix this issue as the policy is already creating problems. The current law makes it irrational to bet in the United States because you could end up owing taxes even when you lose or having a tax bill that exceeds your winnings.”

White also tied the issue to Nevada, where casinos, sportsbooks, hospitality workers, and tipped employees depend on gambling activity. In his view, the rule leaves winning bettors less willing to spend, tip, or keep playing in the legal market.

White wrote that “gamblers who win big, tip big.” He also said bettors are becoming less generous when they win “if they gamble at all.”

The UFC has leaned into legal sports betting since the 2018 fall of PASPA. The company has built sportsbook sponsorships, worked with licensed operators, and supported state-level regulation around betting markets.

White told Trump that the new tax rule threatens that system by pushing some players to offshore casinos, where tax treatment and oversight look different. As noted in this letter:

“The UFC supports a healthy, legal sports betting market to drive fan engagement, broadcast value, and sponsorships. When legal betting is discouraged, it hurts the ecosystem we’ve spent years building in partnership with state regulators and licensed operators. It also undercuts the transparency and integrity protections that legal betting provides to professional sports.”

Lawmakers have already tried to reverse the 90% gambling loss deduction cap after backlash from bettors and gaming industry voices. White now adds a high-profile name to that campaign, with a direct appeal to Trump.