How would you say "The stakes are higher now?"
We say "the stakes are higher now" to mean that the issues are more important than they were before.
2 Answers
Las palizadas son más altas ahora.
Just kidding.

Another possibility for "upping the ante"-subir el listón (raising the bar), but it is all about context.
ya se ha puesto más en juego = now, more has been put at stake