Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill": A heavy blow to poker

Author

Vargoso

Published

7/5/2025

Updated

7/5/2025

On Independence Day, the President of the country signed a large bill, called the "One Big Beautiful Bill." One of the sections of the document will directly affect all professional poker players in the United States. We will talk about the consequences of the new law and the community's reaction to it in this article.

“Scary” law for poker PROs

On July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed the massive “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which includes a new tax rule that could destroy professional poker in the United States.

According to the amendment, starting in 2026, players will be able to deduct no more than 90% of their losses from their winnings. This means that even with zero or negative profits, players will be required to pay taxes on “fictitious income.”

For example, before the law was passed, the tax amount was calculated as follows:

Win $200,000 – Loss $100,000 = Taxable Base $100,000
Tax (24%): $24,000

After the law goes into effect (2026):

Allowable Deduction for Losses: $100,000 × 90% = $90,000
Taxable Base: $200,000 – $90,000 = $110,000
Tax (24%): $26,400

Even with zero profit — say, $100,000 in wins and $100,000 in losses — the taxable base would be $10,000, and the player would pay about $2,400, even though he or she actually earned nothing.

For high-stakes players with millions of dollars in turnover, the consequences could be devastating: taxes would be levied on hundreds of thousands of dollars that the player never received.

Reaction to the law

Many players compare the new rules with Black Friday 2011, when the largest poker rooms in the United States were blocked. Now it is not access to the sites that is at risk, but the very ability to play profitably within the law.

Phil Galfond called the amendment a "tax on losses" and emphasized that even profitable play can become unprofitable due to the new rule.
Maria Konnikova said that the new rule is a "tax on the very right to play."
Doug Polk released a video calling for players to unite and resist the law: "We are facing a tax disaster."

The new rules were not only disliked by poker players. Congresswoman Dina Titus (Nevada) has already announced work on repealing the amendment through a separate bill. The American Gaming Association has joined the process.

Petitions and information campaigns have been launched to repeal the tax amendments. The collection of signatures and pressure on politicians has begun, especially in states with a legal gaming market.

Consequences

The new rule destroys the financial model of professional gaming. Even minimal profits will be eaten up by taxes. Players with a large turnover (for example, $2-3 million per year) may pay more taxes than they actually earn.

This will lead to a move to offshore or "shadow" jurisdictions, and ultimately will only reduce the tax base for the state.

Although the "Big Beautiful Bill" has already been signed, the professional community is not going to give up. Active work is underway to adjust or completely cancel the controversial amendment. The law may be revised - if the pressure from players, industry representatives and individual politicians continues to grow.

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