Titus leads effort to kill sports betting tax

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan bill to repeal the “handle tax” on legal sports bets was filed in the House by the Congressional Gaming Caucus whose members cited the coronavirus pandemic’s economic impact as the reason to eliminate the financial burden on licensed businesses.

Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., and Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., the co-chairs of the caucus, filed legislation to repeal the 0.25 percent excise tax on legal sports bets known as the “handle tax,” and the additional $50 a year tax on each employee working for a sportsbook.

Similar legislation was filed in previous sessions of Congress, but failed to pass.

Lotteries and sports betting in some states are exempt from the tax.

But gaming establishments in Nevada paid $13.3 million in taxes in 2019, according to Titus, more than any other state.

Nevada has suffered more economically than most states during the pandemic because casinos and hotels were closed in the state.

“At a time when Las Vegas is experiencing the highest unemployment rate of any large metro area in the country, forcing sports books to pay an additional tax on each employee makes it harder to bring about economic recovery,” Titus said.

“I have proposed this legislation for years and I finally feel like the momentum is on our side,” Titus said in a statement.

Reschenthaler said the legislation would ensure that the gaming industry, “hit hard by COVID-19 mandated closures and cancellation of sporting events, is able to support good-paying jobs and economic growth in southwestern Pennsylvania and across the country.”

Contact Gary Martin at gmartin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.