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Do You Report Casino Winnings

Players dream of hitting a big jackpot when they play the slots. When that day comes for you, you'll have questions about the taxes you must pay on the winnings.

Hand Pay Jackpots

  • Under IRS rules, you must report winnings from any type of gambling activity —including lotteries, racing, bingo, sports, slot machines, and cards—no matter how much you earned. This includes money.
  • There’s a bigger picture here, as well. Maybe you never earned the money online. Maybe you physically travel overseas to play poker and do other types of gambling. Then you electronically stash the money in your bank account and head back to the U.S. You still have to pay. You must claim that money when filing your taxes. It’s still income.
  • If you fail to report any type of income while receiving unemployment benefits, you could be found guilty of fraud and your unemployment claim may be cancelled. The same applies for taxes. If you hit the jackpot at the casino, you must report any earnings in your income tax return as well as to the unemployment office of your state.
  • But before you report your prize and gambling income, you need to know what does and doesn't count as income. Gambling and lottery winnings and losses. Whether you play the lottery, slots, blackjack, roulette or another game considered gambling, you must report all of your winnings even if you.

When you hit the winning combination of symbols for a large jackpot, your slot machine locks up. Depending on the machine, the lights on top of the machine may come on and start flashing, music may play or bells ring. A slot attendant arrives promptly to see what you have won.

Gambling winnings are unique because you can also deduct your gambling losses and certain other expenses, but only in specific circumstances (see our article about this). You don't report your gambling income net of expenses, though. Instead, you must report your gambling income and gambling expenses separately.

On jackpots smaller than $5,000, an attendant verifies that you hit the jackpot and then assists you in claiming your money at the cashier's cage. In the case of a large or progressive jackpot, the casino may have technicians come and check the machine to certify that it was functioning properly when the jackpot hit. If you hit one of the wide-area progressive machines such as MegaBucks, the slot company that operates the game comes out and verifies that machine before giving you a check.

When you hit a jackpot, you have the option of taking your winnings in cash or check. Usually, large amounts are paid by check. In the case of the MegaBucks or similar multi-million dollar jackpots, you receive a check for the partial amount, and then you have 90 days to decide if you want to be paid a lump sum or an annual annuity on the balance. If you select the lump sum option, you receive only a percentage of your actual winnings. For example, the full winnings of one multi-million slot jackpot is paid in 25 annual installments, or you can take a lump sum of 60 percent of the winnings.

IRS Withholding

All casino winnings are subject to federal taxes. However, the IRS only requires the casinos to report wins over $1,200 on slots and ​video poker machines or other games such as keno, lottery or horse racing. When you have a win equal to or greater than $1200, you are issued a W-2G form. This form lists your name, address and Social Security number. The casinos are not required to take out withholding tax on jackpots under $5,000 as long you supply your Social Security number. If you don’t provide your Social Security number, the casinos withhold 28 percent on small jackpots.

You can request a specific amount of withholding tax to be taken out of any jackpot you win. Some players like to do this to avoid a big tax payment in April when they file their income tax returns. The additional withholding may not be necessary if you keep a log book. The law allows you to deduct gambling losses up to the amount of your winnings. You can only do this if you have documentation of your losses. Keeping a diary or log book is the way to do this.

Proper Identification

Casinos can refuse to pay you until you produce proper identification—a photo ID such as a driver’s license, military ID or passport.

If you don’t produce an ID, you are photographed and the casino holds your winnings until you come back with proper ID. For this reason, you should always carry a valid form of identification with you when you visit the casino.

When the casino checks your identification, it also checks your age to make sure you are legally old enough to play. The minimum age for gambling varies from state to state, but under-age gamblers are not be paid if they hit a jackpot. This is the law in all jurisdictions, and it has been upheld in court.

Plan Ahead

Before you start playing your favorite slot machine you should have a plan for the day you hit a jackpot. Players become excited when they hit the big one, and this may affect the decisions you make about your winnings. It is helpful if you know ahead of time how much withholding you want taken out or whether you want a check for all or some of the amount.

Big Casino Winners

November 01, 2017

Have you recently won some cash at the casino or racetrack? Congratulations! While it is very exciting, keep in mind there are tax implications and you should be prepared to pay federal, state and local income taxes on the winnings.

You can anticipate that the casino or other party that provides the payout to give or send you a Form W-2G. The information reported on this federal form includes the date you won, the reportable winnings, type of wager, federal and state taxes withheld and other details about the transaction.

You will file a W-2G if you won money from any of the following sources (please note, the list is not exhaustive):

Do You Report Casino Winnings
  • Horse/dog track or off track betting
  • Jai-alai
  • State-conducted lottery
  • Keno • Bingo
  • Slot machines
  • Poker winnings
  • Any other type of gambling winnings

Keep in mind, even if you win money at a charity event that is hosted by a church or other type of non-profit organization, those winnings are taxable. If you paid money to participate in the event, such as purchased cards for a game of bingo at your church, you cannot claim the funds you spent as a donation to a non-profit organization when you file your income taxes.

Do Casinos Report To Irs

If you find yourself on the losing end of a game of chance, you may wonder if you can report a gambling loss on your tax return. Generally, it is not allowable, but there are exceptions. It is advisable that you consult with a tax professional if you find yourself in such a situation or have questions.

Do You Claim Gambling Winnings

For rules, laws and other information pertaining to gaming in Indiana, visit the Indiana Gaming Commission website at http://www.in.gov/igc/.