President Trump's visit to Circa Resort in Las Vegas draws praise from gambling leaders

President Donald Trump made a visit to Circa Resort and Casino in downtown Las Vegas this weekend, a move that has sparked excitement among stakeholders in the gambling industry. The visit, hosted by Circa co-owner Derek Stevens, focused on key tax issues affecting the industry, particularly the push to raise the slot tax threshold and eliminate the federal excise tax on sports betting.  

The visit was praised by the American Gaming Association (AGA), which has been advocating for tax reforms that would ease regulatory burdens on the sector. AGA President and CEO Bill Miller said the visit reflects the administration's recognition of the gaming industry's contribution to job creation and economic growth.

"President Trump's tremendous support for the gaming industry during his first term was unprecedented – for the first time in history, our industry was able to obtain federal economic relief in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdowns," Miller said in a statement. "We look forward to further engagement with President Trump throughout this year on critical tax policy and other important industry priorities."

Stevens, who also owns The D Las Vegas and Golden Gate, said he received notice of the visit just days before it took place. He credited Nevada GOP officials, including Republican National Committeewoman Sigal Chattah and state party Chairman Michael McDonald, for facilitating the arrangements. Trump’s advance team arrived at Circa shortly after confirming the venue's availability.   

While Stevens has traditionally maintained a neutral stance in political matters, he stated that he felt the issues at hand were too important to ignore. He stated that the tax policy changes would not only support his employees but also benefit the broader Las Vegas community.  

Stevens, along with other gaming stakeholders, is pushing for the sports betting exercise tax's elimination. The Internal Revenue Code currently imposes a federal excise tax of 0.25% on the amount of any legal sports wager with a commercial sportsbook, as well as an additional $50 annual head tax for every employee engaged in receiving wagers for or on behalf of any legal sports betting operator.

According to AGA, this tax serves "no dedicated purpose" and represents an added operating cost to legal sportsbooks that illegal operators do not pay, further impeding customers’ move away from the illegal market to regulated sports betting channels.

Moreover, Stevens and the wider US industry are pushing for the slot-jackpot threshold for a W-2 G (tax form) of $1,200 to be raised to $5,000. Updating the reporting threshold to a higher level would address four decades of inflationary effects, says AGA, resulting in as much as $500 million in annual savings to the industry.

“Raising the threshold on both of those will eliminate a tremendous amount of undue regulatory burden, and reduce a tremendous amount of wasted time in casinos across the country,” Stevens said.

The visit also drew reactions from other downtown business leaders. Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino, said Trump's decision to visit downtown Las Vegas reflects the area's growing influence. He noted that the president's message about eliminating taxes on tips is likely to resonate with hospitality workers across party lines.  

"It’s just incredible that he’s chosen downtown Las Vegas, of all the places he could have picked," Jossel said. "It’s a major boost for the area, and the message of no tax on tips is something that will be well received."