Dana White Urges Donald Trump To Reverse Gambling Tax Provision

According to independent journalist Dustin Gouker, UFC President Dana White sent a letter to President Donald Trump seeking a reversal of a provision in the gambling tax law as part of the "Big Beautiful Bill." ESPN also confirmed the authenticity of the letter. 

Trump and White have had a relationship for years, including Trump attending UFC events and White recently attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner. 

What White's Letter Said

In his letter, White asked Trump to undo the provision imposing a 90% cap on gambling-loss deductions. 

"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 for the year," White wrote in the letter, which was dated May 11 and noted that he and Trump had discussed the topic in the past. "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."

Lawmakers Speak Out

When this bill passed, there were concerns from states with legal gambling, as ESPN's Doug Greenberg noted. For example, in July 2025, Nevada Rep. Dina Titus spoke out against the bill. With this current legislation, if you won $100,000 gambling, but also lost $100,000, you'd only be able to write off $90,000, meaning you'd still have to pay taxes on $10,000 worth of gambling losses. 

In addition to Titus, Nevada Senator Cortez Masto spoke out following White's letter, agreeing with him. 

"I have a bipartisan bill to reverse the nonsense tax on gambling losses for exactly this reason: it’s hurting players, our gaming and tourism industry, and the workers who count on them for their livelihoods.

"I agree with Dana White, the President needs to join us and fix this now," Masto wrote on X.