Dana White is asking President Donald Trump to help change a tax rule that limits the deduction of gambling losses to 90 percent of total losses, arguing the law makes it irrational to bet legally in the United States. The UFC chief made the appeal in a letter dated May 11, and thanked Trump for getting the Big Beautiful Bill Act across the finish line in 2025.
White’s letter lands just as the UFC prepares to stage an event at the White House on June 14, in conjunction with Trump’s 80th birthday, underscoring how closely the two men’s friendship now intersects with politics, business and sport. White has long considered Trump a friend, but this request also puts him squarely in the middle of a tax fight that Congress would have to resolve before any change could take effect.
In the letter, White said the deduction cap is part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and argued that it sets back Trump’s signature promise of “No Tax On Tips.” He said the rule also hurts the UFC, which has a financial interest in a healthy legal betting market because it helps drive fan engagement, broadcast value and sponsorships.
White warned that if legal wagering is discouraged, bettors may simply move to unlicensed operators and keep records of their winnings off their tax returns. That, he said, would weaken an ecosystem built with state regulators and licensed operators and would undercut the transparency and integrity protections that legal betting brings to professional sports.
The pressure points are easy to see. White is not just defending a betting tax policy; he is defending a business model that has become part of the UFC’s broader pitch to fans and broadcasters. A legal market gives the sport more data, more reach and more money, while an overly punitive tax rule, he argued, pushes activity away from the regulated system lawmakers say they want to protect.
The letter also shows how White has turned his relationship with Trump into a direct channel on issues that reach well beyond the cage, from policy to promotions. That same access has been visible in the wider UFC orbit as well, including interest in big-ticket fight plans in Las Vegas and the lingering uncertainty around a Conor McGregor return, both subjects that have fed constant speculation around White’s next move.
For now, the next step belongs to Congress, not White or Trump. If lawmakers decide the 90 percent limit stays in place, the UFC chief’s warning is that the real winners may be the unlicensed betting outfits he says the rule would help.
