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Gaming Guru
Ask The Slot Expert12 September 2002
Dear Mark, First, congratulations. A royal flush on a Pick 'Em Poker machine is a rare event indeed. The issuance of a W-2G for winnings of $1200 or more is perhaps the most unkindest cut of all delivered to the slot or video poker player. Even though table game players don't encounter any government paperwork until they hit $10,000, machine players get hit with paperwork for a little over a tenth of that amount. A warning: According to a tax accountant active on the Skip Hughes video poker list, the regulations governing the W-2G and the treatment of gambling wins and losses are not very detailed and IRS agents may interpret them differently. What I'll describe here is the "generally accepted" method of handling the W-2G. Some people have been successful in being more aggressive. Yes, you can declare losses up to the amount that you declare in winnings. You can't claim an overall loss from gambling unless you can qualify as a professional gambler. When I do my taxes, I add up the W-2Gs I received throughout the year and put that total on the appropriate line on Form 1040. I then take my win/loss record for the year and compare it with my W-2G total. If I've won more than my W-2G total, I should report the total win on my tax return. This hasn't happened to me yet, but if it does, I think I would just report the W-2Gs. If I've won less than my W-2G total or show a loss for the year, I take my win/loss record and subtract the value of my W-2Gs. That gives me my win/loss net of the W-2Gs. This is the amount that I can deduct as a loss, up to the amount of the W-2Gs. Now, here's one problem. Losses from gambling are a miscellaneous deduction on Schedule A. You must itemize deductions in order to claim the loss. Depending upon your situation, the standard deduction may be more than your itemized deductions. And here's another problem. The amount of your W-2Gs goes into your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). Having a higher AGI may affect your eligibility for some deductions. Your own, contemporaneous records are exactly what the IRS wants to see to prove your loss. There is no guarantee that they are accurate, but if your records are questioned you can provide corroborating evidence, such as toll receipts, ATM withdrawal receipts, cancelled checks or markers, and win/loss statements from your slot clubs. Best of luck in and out of the casinos, Send your slot and video poker questions to John Robison, Slot Expert, at slotexpert@comcast.net. For more information about slots and video poker, we recommend: The Slot Expert's Guide to Playing Slots by John RobisonBreak the One-Armed Bandits! by Frank Scoblete Victory at Video Poker and Video Craps, Keno and Blackjack! by Frank Scoblete Slot Conquest Audio Cassette Tape (60 minutes) with Frank Scoblete Winning Strategies at Slots & Video Poker! Video tape hosted by Academy Award Winner James Coburn, Written by Frank Scoblete The Slot Machine Answer Book by John Grochowski The Video Poker Answer Book by John Grochowski This article is provided by the Frank Scoblete Network. Melissa A. Kaplan is the network's managing editor. If you would like to use this article on your website, please contact Casino City Press, the exclusive web syndication outlet for the Frank Scoblete Network. To contact Frank, please e-mail him at fscobe@optonline.net. Recent Articles
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