President Donald Trump capped his first week back in office with a trip to a casino, visiting Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday.
Derek Stevens, the Chief Executive Officer of Circa Resorts, hosted the event. Trump discussed various topics, including tax policy goals in the gaming industry and removing the sports betting excise tax.
In a post on the social media platform, X, Circa Las Vegas announced that Trump was stopping by to speak on his “No Tax on Tips” policy regarding the casino industry.
📢 Big day at #CircaLasVegas!
— Circa Las Vegas (@CircaLasVegas) January 25, 2025
President @realDonaldTrump is stopping by today to speak on his "No Tax on Tips" initiative and how it benefits the hardworking individuals in the casino industry.
Stay tuned for exclusive coverage from his visit! 💰🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/qFxVGjjtxz
Nevada’s Lieutenant Governor, Stavros S. Anthony, also took to X to thank the President for his Circa Resorts rally, saying, “Thank you, President Trump for coming to the great state of Nevada, downtown Las Vegas. Great turnout to greet him at Circa Casino and Resort.”
Thank you, President Trump for coming to the great state of Nevada, downtown Las Vegas. Great turnout to greet him at Circa Casino and Resort. pic.twitter.com/MDY3Or99Ga
— Stavros Anthony (@StavrosAnthony) January 25, 2025
Lastly, videos posted to X show President Trump greeting supporters at Circa Resorts and even stopping to play some craps on his way to the rally.
🎰 From the stage to the casino floor – President @realDonaldTrump is meeting the faces behind Las Vegas hospitality, thanking them for their hard work, and uniting with Circa CEO/Owner @DerekJStevens to empower the backbone of our city - the hardworking hospitality and gaming… pic.twitter.com/pXUtvwpzaC
— Circa Las Vegas (@CircaLasVegas) January 25, 2025
President Trump stops by a craps table in Circa in Las Vegas to message on his campaign promise to ending taxes on tipped wages. pic.twitter.com/BfBpSpN8h8
— Stephanie Lai (@stephaniealai) January 25, 2025
The American Gaming Association released a statement thanking the President and Derek Stevens for hosting the event and expressed its appreciation for Trump’s plans to strengthen the gaming industry.
Ben Miller, president and Chair Executive Officer of the American Gaming Association, said, “Today’s event is a testament to the President’s commitment to making sure that the tax code not only encourages job creation, but also ensures workers keep more of their hard-earned money."
"It’s exciting for our industry that the President visited a casino property so early in his second term. This event clearly demonstrates the positive role the gaming industry plays in the U.S. economy,” Miller added.
Rush Street CEO Welcomes Donald Trump’s Second Term with Open Arms
This is not the first time the gambling industry has welcomed President Trump. Richard Schwartz, Chair Executive Officer of Rush Street Interactive, spoke highly of the President in November at the Needham Consumer Teach and Ecommerce Virtual Conference.
The CEO assured everyone that Trump’s incoming administration would only support the United States' gaming sector, saying that the President was in favor of creating new gaming avenues, especially those for online casinos.
“I think it's always helpful to have a president who is not opposed to gaming expansion, which is the case with President-Elect Trump,” Richard Schwartz said late last year.
The Rush Street CEO also guaranteed that President Trump would continue the current state-by-state approach to regulation in online gaming markets, saying that Trump would not push for any significant nationwide changes to the policy.
He also said that more states could introduce online casino legislation under Trump’s administration, boosting state revenue.
“I think that’s a great reason to jump-start even more efforts on iCasino,” he said. “Plus, the fact we know that when an iCasino is added to a state with legal sports betting, about three-quarters of the taxes comes from iCasino versus sportsbooks, so it’s a very profitable way to raise taxes.”
