If someone had some extra money (but not a ton!) and wanted to invest in a piece of real estate in Vegas, what would you recommend? Or is it too late? Thanks!

Let's say you enter a satellite tournament for the World Series of Poker and manage to win one of the $10,000 entries. You then, of course, get knocked out in the main tournament, long before you reach the money. What are the tax implications of winning your entry fee? On the one hand, you didn't win any actual cash. On the other, the seat has a definite $10K value. I'd hate to be on the hook for $10K worth of ordinary income that I never actually saw. That would make playing in the WSOP a very expensive lark, even via satellite entry.

If I win online, do I have to pay taxes?

How long has the requirement for the casinos to issue W2Gs on slot or video poker wins of $1,200 or more been in effect? I seem to remember this amount to have been about the same for probably 20 years. $1,200 of 20 years ago isn't the same in today's dollars -- has there ever been talk of raising the limit by the IRS?

We're coming to Vegas in October and are wondering what the check-cashing policy is in Las Vegas. I do not want to carry a lot of cash and travelers checks can be a pain. I would like to go into a casino and cash a check for $500 and then if I need more, can I cash another check in a different casino on the same day? Here in Illinois, the casinos all seemed to be linked to a service and you can only cash checks for up to $499.

My wife and I live in Wisconsin but own two investment properties in Vegas. Our plan is to move into one of the homes in the next couple of years. Last year, property values went up 30%-35%. Are you seeing or hearing signs that this value growth will continue, or is a slowdown on the horizon? Also, is the building boom finding an end or does it just keep spreading further from the Strip?

What is the maximum gambling loss I can claim if I win a super-large jackpot?