Dana White urged President Donald Trump to help overturn the new gambling deductions law, which the UFC president and CEO says is hurting the gaming industry.
Key Takeaways
- Dana White outlined several negative effects of the One Big Beautiful Bill’s gambling deductions provision.
- White suggested the current law is irrational and lacks common sense.
- His request has moved a Kalshi market on repealing the law.
White sent a letter to Trump, dated May 11 and obtained by gambling insider Dustin Gouker, outlining concerns over a provision limiting gamblers to deducting only 90% of losses against winnings.
New: UFC President Dana White has sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to help reverse the 90 percent limit on gambling loss deductions for US taxpayers that became law last year.
— Dustin Gouker (@DustinGouker) May 13, 2026
The issue has been a concern for both bettors and the gambling industry itself. pic.twitter.com/WH9ukZi3mH
Previously, bettors could deduct gambling losses up to 100% of their winnings, but excess losses could not reduce other taxable income. Under the new law, even if gambling winnings and losses are the same, bettors can only deduct 90%.
“I believe Congress should fix this issue as the policy is already creating problems,” White wrote in the letter. “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.”
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Effects on Nevada
The provision, which was a late addition to Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill in July 2025, has sparked debate since it went into effect Jan. 1, and lawmakers have attempted to have it reversed.
White, who has a close relationship with Trump through his MMA company, complimented the President for getting the bill passed but pleaded that “fixing this deduction issue would send a strong signal that the United States supports common-sense regulation.”
White told Trump that the 90% limitation is hurting Nevadans who rely on the gaming industry for income because “gamblers who win big, tip big.” White said bettors are being less generous when they win “if they gamble at all.”
White also included ramifications for his own business. The UFC has been at the forefront of legal sports betting since PASPA was overturned in 2018, creating multiple sportsbook sponsorships and working with state regulators.
The UFC CEO claims bettors are turning to the unregulated market to avoid the new tax law.
“The UFC supports a healthy, legal sports betting market to drive fan engagement, broadcast value, and sponsorships,” White said. “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.”
Market mover
White’s letter impacted Kalshi’s prediction market on “Will the cap on gambling loss reduction be repealed?”
Before the letter was sent, traders believed there was a 15% chance it would be repealed before 2027. At the time of publication, that market had moved to 38%, while the provision being repealed by Sept. 1, 2026, had risen from 22% to 29% on Wednesday.
