LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus's bill to reverse a tax change contained in the Republican tax-and-spending bill is getting bipartisan support, both inside and outside Nevada.
WATCH | Titus bill to restore gambling tax deductions gains support across party lines
Already Nevada Reps. Steven Horsford, a Democrat, and Mark Amodei, a Republican, have indicated they will sign on to the measure, which Titus dubbed the "FAIR Bet Act."
The one-page bill would restore tax deductions for gambling losses to 100%, after the massive Republican bill lowered that deduction to 90%. That change would mean a gambler who won $100,000 but lost the same amount in a given year would only be able to write off $90,000, and still owe taxes on the remaining $10,000. That's money they never actually saw.
"It's bad policy, because tax policy should be fair and gaming should be treated like any other business," Titus said. "They pay taxes, they hire union labor, they invest in the community. So, as a policy, it's bad."
In addition, Titus said the move could drive gamblers to wager money with offshore casinos, avoiding all taxes entirely, or to lie about how much money they won or lost in a given year.
And, she said the bill will affect anyone who writes off gambling losses on an itemized tax form, including people who play slots, fantasy sports, or other forms of gambling.
"They pretended or suggested that this would only impact professional poker players, but that's not true," Titus said. "It's anybody who gambles. It's maybe somebody bets on a football game, or plays a slot machine, or is just a small poker player, not a real professional. So it has a wide-reaching impact."
WATCH | Extended interview with Congresswoman Titus
But if the impact is wide-reaching, so is the constituency for reform. Nearly every state in the union has some form of legalized gambling, and players are acutely aware of the change. Titus said a post of hers on X about the change garnered more response than any other post she's ever made.
That's likely why she's getting bipartisan support for her bill. California Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat, has signed on, Titus said. Republican Troy Nehls, R-Texas, has signed on as well, she said. And she's hoping to get the support of Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Penn., who co-chairs the Congressional Gaming Caucus.
The bill also has the support of the American Gaming Association, which issued a statement Tuesday saying, “The American Gaming Association applauds Congresswoman Titus for introducing the FAIR BET Act. We are committed to working with Congresswoman Titus, other congressional leaders, and the Trump Administration to restore the long-standing tax treatment of gaming losses.”
Unique among chief executives, President Donald Trump may be in the best position to understand the controversy over the tax change. Trump formerly owned casinos in Atlantic City, currently a non-gaming hotel in Las Vegas, and is friends with Las Vegas casino operator Phil Ruffin, co-owner of the Trump's Las Vegas property and owner of the Treasure Island and Circus-Circus hotel casinos.
Titus said her bill would not necessarily have to pass as standalone legislation — especially because that would amount to an admission the Big Beautiful Bill contained an error. Instead, she said the one-page measure could be turned into an amendment to a must-pass piece of legislation later this year, erasing the tax change before gamblers have to file their 2025 tax returns next year.
"So just because it doesn't come to the [House] floor immediately doesn't mean there aren't options at the end of this Congress," Titus said.
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