Trump Visits Las Vegas with Tax Relief Win While Gambling Deduction Cut Looms

President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Las Vegas on April 16, the day after Tax Day. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the trip during a Wednesday briefing. Trump will highlight two signature economic policies: no tax on tips and no tax on overtime.

Nevada’s large tipped service workforce makes the visit particularly relevant to the Silver State. “You’ll hear a lot from the president about how his policies have benefited the American people,” Leavitt said.

How “No Tax on Tips” Went from Campaign Promise to Law

The Las Vegas stop marks Trump’s first Nevada public appearance in over a year. He last spoke about no tax on tips in Las Vegas shortly after his January 2025 inauguration. Union officials initially dismissed it as wild campaign promises, but the proposal gained bipartisan momentum. The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) ultimately made it law.

Under the legislation, tipped workers can deduct up to $25,000 in tips from their federal tax obligations, effective 2026. Even the Culinary Union, the largest casino workers’ trade group in the country and a frequent Trump opponent, welcomed the measure.

The relief arrives after a challenging year as Las Vegas visitation fell 7.5% in 2025.

What the OBBB’s Tip Tax Relief Means for Casino and Hospitality Workers

Casino and hospitality workers stand to gain directly from the OBBB, which reduces federal tax liabilities on tips nationwide. Trump outlined the benefits during an early 2025 stop at Circa Resort and Casino in downtown Las Vegas. “If you’re a restaurant worker, a server, a valet, a bellhop, a bartender... your tips will be 100% yours,” he said.

Nevada Democrats to Trump: Fix the Gambling Loss Deduction

Not all provisions of the OBBB have been welcomed. The bill reduces the gambling loss deduction from 100% to 90%, and Democratic lawmakers are pushing back. Rep. Dina Titus and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto have each introduced legislation to restore the full deduction. Titus’ FAIR Bet Act and Cortez Masto’s FULL House Act would both allow 100% deductibility.

“When @POTUS is here in Nevada talking taxes next week, let’s ask him to fix the 90% gambling loss deduction,” Titus wrote on X. Supporters of the cap argue that gambling is entertainment, not investment. Professors Mirit Eyal-Cohen and Jay Soled wrote in a recent op-ed that consistency requires denying the gambling loss deduction entirely.