Whether it’s in Las Vegas, Atlantic City or the local casino, thousands of people dream of winning big and changing their lives forever.

Generally, you'll receive an IRS Form W-2G if your gambling winnings are at least $600 and the payout is at least 300 times the amount of your wager. Add a top rate of 37% for federal taxes, and you could end up paying close to half of your winnings in taxes. This is also usually the case for game show winnings. The difference with the lottery. Michigan features a 4.25% flat income tax. The Wolverine State expects you to pay this same 4.25% rate on gambling wins. West Virginia, on the other hand, doesn’t tax your winnings. Casinos/sportsbooks in the Mountaineer State only withhold federal taxes (when necessary). Your gambling winnings are generally subject to a flat 24% tax. However, for the following sources listed below, gambling winnings over $5,000 will be subject to income tax withholding: Any sweepstakes, lottery, or wagering pool (this can include payments made to the winner (s) of poker tournaments).

Most people that go end up with thinner wallets than what they went with but there are the occasional few that take home the big bucks.

However, if Lady Luck is on your side, you don’t get to keep all the money to yourself.

Gambling winnings count as taxable income, meaning that it’s not just your lucky day; you get to share it with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

So before you spent it all have the taxman knocking on your door for its share of the spoils, you must understand how gambling taxes work.

Whether it’s sports betting, poker, fantasy sports, casino or even the lottery, everything you win from gambling is taxable. While this may cause you to sigh or to grit your teeth, unfortunately, that’s just the way it is.

This guide will show you everything you need to know about gambling taxes, including how they are taxed, the important requirements you must fulfil and how to report your gambling income.

How Gambling Winnings Are Taxed

The federal income tax process with regard to gambling remains the same across the US.

Unlike income tax, US gambling taxes are not progressive. No matter how small or how large you win, you are required to pay 25% to the IRS.

However, things can be different at the state level.

Each state in the US has its own tax structure. Therefore, you must first find out the tax structure of your state of residence.

Here’s a brief summary of how you can expect federal and state law to tax your gambling winnings.

First of all, you must know where your winnings came from, specifically the type of game which you were playing and cash out from.

There are certain thresholds you must meet, and they are as follows:

• $600 or more at a horse track or 300x your original bet;
• $1,200 or more from slot machines or bingo;
• $1,500 or more at keno;
• $5,000 or more playing poker

Now, for example, if you won $1,000 from horse racing and won $5,000 playing poker, you don’t report a lump sum of $6,000 won from gambling. Instead, you report each individual game.

This means that in the event you do win big, racetracks and casinos will require your Social Security Number before they pay you your winnings. You are also required to fill out IRS Form W2-G and report your winnings.

The reason for this detailed breakdown of winnings is because the casino will deduct 25% from your winnings before paying you. This is the money you are taxed by the US Government and you will be issued a receipt by the casino as proof.

But what about the gambling taxes on winnings less than the above thresholds?

As per the IRS, you must report them on your federal tax return as income.

It’s better to be safe than sorry, so always report your gambling winnings, no matter how small they are. Even if it’s just a few dollars from the slots, write it down.

Some states have an income tax rate of their own. If so, you must report your winnings on your state tax return too. This is particularly important now that gambling is becoming legal.

It’s worth mentioning here though that Nevada, the only state where gambling in a casino was legal, did not use to tax gambling income. Always check your state’s laws to see if you are legally required to report gambling winnings.

Many questions are asked about online gambling winnings and how they are taxed.

Online gambling taxes are in a bit of a grey area. Currently, online gambling is illegal in most states anyway but in those where it is legal, most are in the form of online sports betting. This is subtle but very important to be aware of.

The IRS specifies what is classed as taxable income and what is classed as non-taxable income.

Those that play daily fantasy sports for a living through DFS contents must be careful when it comes to gambling taxes.

For those living in a state where online sports betting will become legal in the future, through an online sportsbook, it’s recommended to read IRS Publication 525. It goes into detail about what they class as taxable income and what they deem as non-taxable income.

It’s rare for gambling winnings to be categorized as non-taxable income. Therefore, if you do win money from online gambling, be prepared to treat it exactly the same as you would for gambling winnings in a traditional casino.

Reporting Gambling Winnings To The IRS

One of the main reasons state governments want to legalize sports betting is because of the potential windfall of cash.

This means that they will be putting a lot of effort into making sure they get as much as possible from players’ winnings.

Not reporting gambling winnings to the IRS and/or state government is a much bigger risk than the games you are playing.

With the lottery, for example, the state will obviously be made aware of winning tickets. It’s also certain that the federal government will be made aware of the winner too.

In terms of gambling, each state in the US has a gaming commission. They are responsible for keeping an eye on all gambling activities.

Casinos have an obligation to report all winners to the gaming commission, so any plans to avoid reporting winnings should be short-lived.

If you do not report gambling winnings, you risk being pursued by the government for tax evasion.

If you are then found guilty of tax evasion for not reporting your gambling winnings, you will face the same consequences as people evading tax on other taxable income.

Casinos’ Gambling Earnings Reports

As part of their operating license, casinos must report winnings to the IRS. However, they are required to report gambling winnings at the same thresholds as if it was an individual:

• $600 or more at the horse track or 300x your original bet
• $1,200 or more playing bingo or on slot machines
• $5,000 or more from poker

There are certain games that casinos are not required to issue Form W2-G or withhold taxes. These games include roulette, blackjack and craps.

The reason for this isn’t so clear cut. The IRS says that table games require a degree of skill while slot machines come down to pure chance. But casinos find it tough to be certain how much a player cashes out with compared to the amount they started with.

Nevertheless, just because you don’t get From W2-G or don’t have taxes withheld from these games, you are still required to report all of your winnings to the IRS.

Do it yourself when it’s time to file your taxes.

Professional Gamblers

Some people gamble professionally for their livelihood.

For these players, gambling winnings are considered regular income for tax purposes, meaning that they are taxed at the normal income tax rate, rather than the gambling tax rate.

All income and expenses for professional gamblers much be recorded on Schedule C, not Schedule A.

Gambling Winnings Records

Always report your gambling winnings; the consequences of not doing so are not worth facing.

With all this in mind, keep a record of all your receipts. This includes both winning and losing sessions. Gambling losses can also be deducted against income but without proof, you will not be able to claim these losses. Good record keeping will ensure you can itemize your losses and use them to offset against your income.

Here are a few things you should record:

• The type of bet
• The date of the bet
• The name of the casino or sportsbook you bet with
• The casino’s or sportsbook’s address
• The names of people you were with
• The total amount you bet
• The total amount you won or lost
• Documentation as evidence of your placing your bet

In terms of the documentation, here are some examples you can use.

For keno winnings, keep a copy of the tickets you bought as validated by the casino, your credit records and check-cashing record.

For slots winnings, record the slot machine number you won from, how much you won each time and the date that you played that machine.

For table games winnings, such as poker, blackjack, baccarat and craps, record the number of the table you were playing at and, if applicable, any information where credit was issued by the casino.

For bingo winnings, make a record of the game numbers you played, the price of the ticket and how much you collected.

For horse and racing winnings, make a record of the race you bet on, how much you bet and how much you won on the winning ticket and how much you lost on a losing ticket. Include any unredeemed tickets as supplementary evidence.

Finally, for lottery winnings, make a record of the tickets you bought, the dates you bought the ticket, how much you won from a winning ticket and how much you lost from a losing ticket. Again, you can include any unredeemed tickets as supplementary evidence.

If you gamble casually from time to time and you miss a few receipts on accident, you will be fine. Just make sure you are accurate with your reporting next time.

There are two IRS forms you must complete to report gambling winnings: the U.S. Individual Tax Return 1040 and IRS Form W-G2 Certain Gambling Winnings.

All profits from gambling are subject to a 24% gambling tax.

However, some sources of gambling winnings are automatically subject to withholding tax.

For more information on this, see the IRS guidelines.

They will help prevent you from making mistakes on your tax form and reduce the shock of being faced with a big bill at the end of the financial year.

Frequently Asked Gambling Taxes Questions

Do I Have To Pay Taxes On Gambling Winnings From A Casino?

Yes, you must pay taxes on gambling winnings from a casino. A more detailed explanation of how gambling winnings are taxed can be found above. You are legally required to report your income from all types of gambling activities.

Different games have different guidelines for when the income becomes taxable, but each must be reported on the tax return. Keep an organized record of all winnings and losses, which can be used to offset against profits.

Do I Have To Pay Taxes On Gambling Winnings From An Online Casino?

Yes, you must also pay taxes on gambling winnings from online casinos. This is because federal and state governments categorize winnings from gambling as income you are generated in an attempt to make more.

It doesn’t matter if it’s from playing the odd slot machine on your smartphone or from the poker table on your computer at home. As long as you win, the IRS wants their share.

Do I Have To Pay Taxes On Winnings From Daily Fantasy Sports?

Once again, yes, you must pay gambling taxes on winnings from DFS. Providers of these games will be documenting your winnings to the federal government. If you try and avoid paying taxes on daily fantasy sports winnings, you can land yourself in a lot of trouble.

Do Non-US Residents Have To Pay Gambling Taxes On Gambling Winnings?

Yes, non-US residents must pay taxes on gambling winnings. Whether it’s in the lottery or in a casino, they must pay a percentage of their winnings to the federal government. Non-residents must complete and file IRS Form 1040NR.

Gambling income for non-residents is taxed at 30%.

Unlike US residents, non-resident aliens cannot deduct gambling losses from their tax bill.

However, a tax treaty between the US and Canada allows Canadian citizens to deduct gambling losses up to the amount of their gambling winnings.

Can I Write Off My Gambling Losses On My Tax Return?

Yes, you can write off gambling losses on a tax return.

You must first report some gambling winnings, so having a record of your results will be very useful. From here you can start to itemize tax deductions for all losses.

Nonetheless, there is a limit on the losses you can claim; it depends on how much you won.

In order to claim tax deductions, you must be able to prove you actually lost the money. This places even more emphasis on keeping your gambling records in order.

At the end of the day, you are deducting losses so you aren’t required to pay income tax on your gambling winnings. This is important as it impacts how the winnings affect your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI).

MAGI is based on all of your other tax deductions. It helps to determine if you need to pay more tax on other income or lose some of your deductions.

Do I Have To Pay Taxes If I Keep All My Money In My Account?

Even if you don’t withdraw your winnings from your account, you must still pay taxes. After all, you have still profited from gambling. Record all of your winnings throughout the year and report them on your tax return according to the IRS guidelines.

Am I Taxed On Group Gambling Bets?

Yes, you are taxed on group or team gambling bets. In fact, it’s the same the tax system used to gambling winnings for individuals.

If you are betting with a team, it becomes even more important to track your bets and keep a record. You don’t want to be taxed on the entire payout when you only took home a percentage of it.

Do You Need To Report Gambling Winnings After You Retire?

Even if you’re retired, you can still be taxed on gambling winnings. If anything, it is even more important when you’re retired to report gambling winnings. If you don’t, you can run into a few problems.

For starters, if you don’t report gambling winnings, you can be moved into another tax bracket. You could even have medical coverage changed and the premiums could increase too.

All because you didn’t report your bingo winnings to the IRS.

Be diligent with your reporting and ensure it’s all accurate, even during your retirement.

Summary

If you had no idea about gambling taxes and what you need to do, these basic principles should give an idea.

Above all else, make sure you always report your gamblings. It’s a much better alternative than being hit with a massive tax bill at the end of the year.

It’s also a good idea to keep records of your winnings too. These can be used to deduct losses and you will also know how much you need to pay in taxes from your winnings before the bill even arrives.

It might seem a bit over the top to keep winnings receipts if you gamble every once in a while. But in the eyes of the IRS, there’s always a chance you won big.

After the thrill of collecting gambling winnings, comes questions about taxes.

Yes, gambling income, which includes winnings from slots, table games, horse racing, sports betting, lottery games, jackpots, and the like, is considered taxable income. As such, you are required to report them on your tax return. The car, boat, or Harley Davidson and other noncash prizes also need to be reported.

There are plenty of questions surrounding Pennsylvania taxes and gambling winnings. Now there are even more with the advent of sports betting, betting apps, and online casinos in Pennsylvania.

Here are some answers.

How much are my gambling winnings taxed?

Casinos withhold 25% of winnings for those who provide a Social Security number. If you do not provide your Social Security number, the payer may withhold 28%.

Currently, Pennsylvania’s personal income tax is a flat tax rate of 3.07% which applies to all taxable income, including gambling and lottery winnings. PA has the lowest rate of all states with a flat tax.

The new regular withholding rate

Effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, the withholding rate under Section 3402(q) applicable to winnings of $5,000 or more from sweepstakes, wagering pools, certain parimutuel pools, jai alai, and lotteries (formerly 25%) is 24%.

Federal Form W-2G, Certain Gambling Winnings

The organization that pays the winnings, in most cases, the casino, is responsible for sending the recipient of the winnings Form W-2G, Certain Gambling Winnings.

Form W-2G reports the amount of winnings to you as well as to the IRS.

The payer is required to send Form W2G only if the winner reaches the following thresholds:

• The winnings (not reduced by the wager) are $1,200 or more from a bingo game or slot machine
• The winnings (reduced by the wager) are $1,500 or more from a keno game
• The winnings (reduced by the wager or buy-in) are more than $5,000 from a poker tournament
• The winnings (except winnings from bingo, slot machines, keno, and poker tournaments), reduced by the wager, are:
  • $600 or more, and
  • At least 300 times the amount of the wager
• The winnings are subject to federal income tax withholding (either regular gambling withholding or backup withholding)

How to report PA gambling winnings on taxes

According to the IRS, you must report the full amount of your gambling winnings each year on your federal taxes. First, you report gambling winnings as

You may receive a Form W-2G showing the amount of your gambling winnings and any tax withheld. Include the amount from box 1 as “Other Income” on Form 1040, Schedule 1 (PDF).

That number then goes on your U.S. Individual Income Tax ReturnForm 1040 (PDF), line 7a (designated “Other Income”). You should attach the Schedule 1 form to your Form 1040.

Include the amount shown in box 2 on the W-2G on line 17 (designated as federal income tax withheld) of your Income Tax Return (Form 1040).

Pennsylvania state taxes for gambling

In addition to federal taxes payable to the IRS, Pennsylvania levies a 3.07% tax on gambling income.

You should report your Pennsylvania taxable winnings on PA-40 Schedule T (PDF). Include the total winnings from line 6 of Schedule T on your Pennsylvania Income Tax ReturnPA-40 (PDF), line 8 (“Gambling and Lottery Winnings”).

If your gambling winnings come during a trip to another state or country, you are still required to report.

Michelle Malloy, Esq. at AUA Capital Management, LLC in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, commented:

“Pennsylvania takes the position that they are entitled to tax a portion of your worldwide income based on certain income items (wages, interests, dividends, capital gains, gambling winnings, lottery winnings, etc).”

What if I don’t receive a Form W2-G?

If you did not receive Form W-2G, your winnings are still considered taxable income and should be reported. A payer is required to issue you a Form W-2G if you receive certain gambling winnings or have any gambling winnings subject to federal income tax withholding.

According to Malloy:

“You are required to report all gambling winnings for federal and Pennsylvania taxes. If you hit a certain threshold they (the casino) will withhold money. In the instance where a casino doesn’t do their job and and fails to send you a W2-G you are still required to report your winnings, or you run the risk of underreporting your taxable income for the year.”

Do I have to pay taxes if a group of people win the lottery?

What happens when a group of coworkers chip in on a lottery ticket that wins? What about you and a friend who put money on a long-shot team to win the championship?

Meet Form 5754 (PDF). Payers use this form to prepare Form W-2G when the person receiving gambling winnings subject to reporting or withholding is not the actual winner or is a member of a group of two or more people sharing the winnings.

Don’t send Form 5754 to the IRS. Keep a copy for your records and return the form to the payer (usually the casino) for preparation of Form W-2G for each person listed as winners.

Are there any deductions available for taxes related to gambling?

Gambling losses can be deducted. However, they must be itemized on line 28 of Schedule A, Form 1040.

Also, you cannot deduct more than your winnings.

Expenses related to any gambling or lottery activities, (like your dinner at the steakhouse, celebratory drinks from the bar, or cost of hotel room) cannot be deducted.

If you are going to deduct gambling losses, keep these records:

• The date and type of each wager
• The name and location of the bet
• The amount won or lost
• Wagering tickets
• Canceled checks
• Credit card records

When using a players club/members card, casinos can track players’ spend. Therefore, you can request a win/loss report that will give you a fairly good sense of your activity in a casino. Online casino players can request the same report and most sites should be able to provide it without issue.

“A lot of people may under-report,” explained Malloy. “They might win $10,000 but have $3,000 of expenses so they think they are just going to report $7,000. That can be an issue, as Pennsylvania does not allow a deduction for expenses. If you win a lot of money in June, for example, you might want to make an estimated tax payment [due Sept. 15 and Jan. 15] so you don’t have an underpayment penalty the following April.”

How to claim gambling winnings and/or losses

Pennsylvania provides a helpful resource to determine how to claim gambling winnings and/or losses.

There is a prompt where you can start a ten-minute interview.

Be sure to have the following information ready:

• Your and your spouse’s filing status
• Amount of your gambling winnings and losses
• Any information provided to you on a Form W-2G

Taxes on multistate lotteries

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue considers multi-state lottery prizes, like those from Powerball and Mega Millions, awarded on tickets purchased through a licensed Pennsylvania state lottery ticket vendor, a prize by the Pennsylvania Lottery.

“Such prizes are considered Pennsylvania source income and both residents and nonresidents are subject to tax on such income if the prize is a cash prize. Multistate lottery prizes awarded on tickets purchased through a vendor in another state lottery are considered prizes awarded by that state lottery. Such prizes are not considered Pennsylvania source income and only residents are taxed on such income regardless of whether the prize is a cash or noncash prize.”

Due to a 2016 law change, any cash prize won from a Powerball of Mega Millions ticket in any state is taxable for state purposes, in addition to federal taxes.

How Much Taxes Do You Have To Pay On Gambling Winnings Taxed

What happens if you win a few thousand dollars on a winning PA lottery ticket?

Lottery winnings are included in taxable income. Pennsylvania Lottery winners of an individual prize valued at more than $600 will receive a Form W2-G by mail.

If your spouse also wins, they must report their winnings separately.

“For a significant windfall, like over $5 million, it definitely makes sense to talk to an attorney or accountant to determine if they should take a lump sum payout or annuity. They may also need to think about estate tax planning, financial planning and/or asset protection planning for their windfall,” said Malloy.

Sports betting winnings and taxes

Sports betting winnings are taxable income.

The IRS states:

“Gambling winnings are fully taxable and you must report the income on your tax return. Gambling income includes but isn’t limited to winnings from lotteries, raffles, horse races, and casinos. It includes cash winnings and the fair market value of prizes, such as cars and trips.”

Even though sports betting isn’t specifically listed, it falls under the umbrella of “gambling winnings.”

Wherever your sports betting win occurred – at the OTB, the casino, on a sports betting app – they payer should send Form W-2G.

Sports betting losses might also be used as deductions if you itemize your deductions and keep a detailed record of wins and losses.

Based on your tax bracket, sports bettors in Pennsylvania could owe up to 35 % of winnings to the federal government in addition to the 3.07 % Pennsylvania taxes net gambling winnings.

How Much Taxes Do You Have To Pay On Gambling Winnings Against

Online gambling and taxes

How Much Taxes Do You Have To Pay On Gambling Winnings Without

Sports betting apps and online casinos provide unmatched convenience. You may also enjoy the anonymity of playing behind a screen name instead of in person. However, it still comes with the same tax responsibilities. Online gambling winnings are considered taxable income at the same rate as other gambling winnings.

For online gambling winnings, the payer is required to send Form W2G only if the winner reaches the following thresholds:

How Much Taxes Do You Have To Pay On Gambling Winnings 2019

• The winnings (not reduced by the wager) are $1,200 or more from a bingo game or slot machine
• The winnings (reduced by the wager) are $1,500 or more from a keno game
• The winnings (reduced by the wager or buy-in) are more than $5,000 from a poker tournament
• The winnings (except winnings from bingo, slot machines, keno, and poker tournaments), reduced by the wager, are:
  • $600 or more, and
  • At least 300 times the amount of the wager
• The winnings are subject to federal income tax withholding (either regular gambling withholding or backup withholding)

How Much Taxes Do You Have To Pay On Gambling Winnings Gambling

In terms of deductions for taxes, players can request a report from online casinos detailing wins and losses.