Dina Titus urges House leaders to restore full gambling-loss deduction

A letter from Democratic U.S. Rep. Dina Titus went to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, both of Louisiana, requesting that FAIR BET language be part of any “must-pass” legislation. The Nevada congresswoman's district takes in the Las Vegas Strip, and she wants Republican House leadership to bring back the full gambling-loss deduction in the closing weeks of a session that opens on Monday.

Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year, and a provision added to the Senate-amended version cut the gambling-loss deduction from 100% to 90%. The change means gamblers owe taxes on money they didn’t earn, and the source illustrates it with a gambler who reports $100,000 in winnings and $100,000 in losses yet still owes taxes on $10,000 in winnings.

Titus introduced the FAIR BET Act in July 2025 to reverse the policy change. The legislation passed the House Ways and Means Committee by 38-5 in September and awaits action by House leadership to bring it to a floor vote.

Titus wrote that the bipartisan provision, once enacted, would fix an unfair change in the tax code and give taxpayers, businesses, and regulated gaming markets across the country the certainty they need. With Congress back from recess and moving to end-of-year legislation, she asked Leadership to quickly put a gambling loss deduction fix on the House floor and attach it to a must-pass legislative vehicle.

Should no legislation carry the provision before the House adjourns next month, Titus has the option of reintroducing it in January, once Democrats take control of Congress following their midterm election victories.