Dana White warns President Trump gambling tax could push bets underground
Josh PeterDana White, CEO of the UFC, considers President Donald Trump a longtime friend and what are friends for?
In the most recent case, soliciting help to amend a law that limits the tax deduction of gambling losses to 90 percent of total losses. Congress would have to act for a change to take effect.
In a letter to Trump dated May 11, White wrote that the limitation – part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) – makes it irrational to bet in the United States, sets back Trump’s signature policy "No Tax On Tips," and negatively impacts the UFC.
Presumably, bettors could circumvent limitation on tax deductions by wagering with unlicensed operators and keep record of their winnings off their tax returns.
"The UFC supports a healthy, legal sports betting market to drive fan engagement, broadcast value, and sponsorships," White wrote in the letter posted on X. "When legal betting is discouraged, it hurts an ecosystem we’ve spent years building in partnership with the state regulators and licensed operators. It also undercuts the transparency and integrity protections that legal betting provides for professional sports."
Trump has been a longtime friend of White’s and supporter of the UFC, which will hold an event the White House on June 14 in conjunction with Trump’s 80th birthday.
The Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law in 2025, significantly affects federal taxes, credits and deductions, according to the IRS. In the letter to the president, White thanked Trump for getting the bill "across the finish line."
"It was a heavy lift, and it sent a clear message that your administration is serious about keeping America’s economy strong," he wrote.
But White still cited what he said is harmful about the limitation on gaming loss deductions for U.S. taxpayers included in the Big Beautiful Bill Act. He said the policy already is creating problems he said include:
- Owing taxes on gambling even when you lose or have a tax bill that exceeds you winnings for the year.
- Gamblers likely likely will tip less, harming servers Trump intended to help with the No Tax On Tips policy.
- Gamblers, in addition to being less generous, might not gamble at all.
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