It wouldn’t be a year in Congress if Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada and Rep. Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania didn’t introduce a bill to eliminate the 0.25% federal excise tax on sports betting handle. This is the fourth-straight year the duo has tried to repeal this tax rate, which has been in place for decades before the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was repealed.
“With the explosive growth of sports betting across the country, it’s time to finally repeal the handle tax which penalizes legal gaming operators and punishes sportsbooks for creating jobs,” said Titus. “As Co-Chair of the bipartisan Gaming Caucus, I’m pushing this legislation to keep legal gaming markets thriving nationwide and help local economies reap the benefits of this growing industry.”
“The U.S. gaming industry provides over one million jobs, including 33,171 jobs in Pennsylvania, and generates more than 70 billion for state and local governments throughout the country,” added Reschenthaler. “Unfortunately, outdated tax codes and burdensome regulations penalize legal operators and incentivize illegal activity. The Discriminatory Gaming Tax Repeal Act will ensure the gaming industry can support good-paying jobs and promote economic growth in southwestern Pennsylvania and across the nation. I’m proud to join Gaming Caucus Co-Chair Titus in introducing this bipartisan legislation, and I urge our colleagues in the House to support it.”
None of the previous efforts to pass this legislation have gained much traction, despite the number of states impacted by the taxation continuing to grow.
Titus also recently reintroduced another passion project for her, upping the $1,200 tax threshold on slot machine winnings. It has yet to gain any traction either.
