Taxes On Slots Winnings
Most players see slots as an entertainment channel, and do not consider such dry topics of taxation to be relevant to them. However, if you are lucky enough to win a big jackpot (even a multi-million dollar one), then the subject of how much you would need to pay to your government would suddenly become very pressing indeed.
There are several aspects of slot machine taxes which should be considered. The first is the distinction between live and online slot games. There are only a few tax regimes which let you offset gambling losses against your tax bill, however whether gambling is your main income source is relevant in a lot of jurisdictions. One key factor is whether online slot play is considered legal by the authorities in your country. If not then there is very unlikely to be any mechanism in place to tax your winnings. If you manage to hit a huge win, this could create an interesting situation explaining to the tax authorities exactly where the money came from.
Please note that the information on this page is in no way considered to be legal or financial advice. Players should seek a tax accountant locally before putting anything here into effect.
Slot Machine Taxes – Country by Country
United States
If you hit a significant slot win in a US casino of more than $1200 in a single spin, the casino will be required to keep 30% of the total in the form of withholding tax. This can be balanced against losses (if you use a players card to properly keep track) at the end of a tax year – although you will need to get a specialist financial advisor in to assist with the paperwork. If you are from outside the US and win a major jackpot, then there are ways to reclaim this tax. The default position is that the amount is taken, and then it is up to the player to find out how to reclaim it in line with the rules of their home-country tax authority.
Online, things are far simpler in the US. Since the only way to gamble (outside of a few regulated states) is offshore, there are no rules or enforcement for slots wins on the internet.
United Kingdom
The UK has very liberal rules when it comes to the rights of individuals to gamble online. As long as you are over 18, you can choose where and when to gamble. Recent licensing legislation has created tax implications to the operators of gambling sites which is based on their overall profit. Some of this burden is bound to be passed back to the players in one form or another.
Tax on gambling winnings is only applicable in the UK if this is your only or main source of income. This would only apply to a small number of people, who are likely to be poker players.
Canada
The rules for Canadians are very much in line with the UK. The only time that taxation is due on gambling winnings is when you treat this activity as a business. The definition of a gambling business is left open. Professional poker players are the most likely to fall into this category, and slots wins are not seen as being under the scope of this definition.
Australia
There are no gambling taxes for slot players at all in Australia. The government makes money through the licensing fees from casinos and bars which host the live slots (known as pokies here).
New Zealand
Again, there are no gambling taxes for slots players (or any other gamblers) in this country. The casinos themselves are taxed on their total profits.
Europe
There is no single tax authority in Europe, with taxes differing in every country. This means that slot taxes represent a complex patchwork of individual country regimes. Some countries, for example France, put a heavy tax burden on their regulated and licensed casino operators. This tax applies to every bet made, and not just to the total of your wins and losses. While players themselves are not directly taxed, this does create a burden for the casinos which have little choice but to pass this back to slots players with slightly reduced payouts.
Many other European countries which have ring-fenced or licensed their casino operators charge both annual licensing fees and tax the profits of their slot operators. Spain and Italy are two examples of countries which have implemented this system.
Some countries within the EU have yet to establish a framework for online gambling activities, meaning that enforcement of taxation would be very difficult. The biggest example of this is Germany. Some of the smaller, newer EU countries are being told they cannot ring-fence and tax casino operators.
Slots taxation across the world is a complex and ever-changing situation. Make sure you speak with a specialist accountant before making any financial planning decisions based on the information here.