What If A Player Can't Fill out Jackpot Tax Forms?

What happens if someone wins a huge jackpot at slots or video poker, but can’t fill out the tax forms, because they’re too drunk to fill it out, or they don’t have the proper identification, or they’re from another country, or they refuse to fill it out. Do they just not get the money or is there more? Could they get arrested?

[Editor's Note: Andrew Uyal, floor supervisor at the Cromwell, answers this one.]

I've yet to meet someone who's too drunk to accept money, but stranger things have happened.

Actually, there's little or nothing that the player has to do in order to get paid on a jackpot. Yes, forms are filled out, but the staff fills in all the blanks using information from the player's account. Sometimes additional information is needed and provided by the player if it's not on file yet, like a Social Security number.

The pit or slot personnel will plug that information into the system and generate a W2-G if the person lives in the U.S. or a 1042-S if the person lives outside the U.S. All the player has to do is provide identification, along with whatever information is missing, and sign the papers.

Occasionally, someone won't have the proper identification. It doesn't happen often. I've only had to deal with that a handful of times over 12-plus years. This can get tricky. If you can't prove you are who you say you are, the regulations prohibit the casino from paying the jackpot.

Are you just out of luck? Well, no.

The casino will transport your payout to the cage with the generated tax papers or as much information as can be gathered. It will be put on deposit, waiting for the player to return with the proper identification. When the player does come back with the necessary ID, everything is verified and the payout can be completed.

Usually this problem is solved later that day or the next, because normally the ID is in the hotel room, car, or with a spouse. If not, the safekeeping procedure is more like a cyber banking transaction than a lost-and-found type of thing. The player's account is messaged, indicating that he or she is owed the money, and it's held "indefinitely," until the identification is provided. (I don't know if "indefinitely" means forever or if it has a limitation. Indefinitely was all I could uncover.)

With lost or stolen identification, it can get ugly for the player, because there's no way to retrieve the money without ID. So whoever hit the jackpot has to return home (or to an embassy, if it's an international guest), get a valid ID, and return with it to claim the money.

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Comments

Howard M Dec-01-2022

Payout Complication

Having worked casino security for several years, I know it would have been informative as well if you had indicated the outcome if a hand-pay jackpot winner had someone else's player card in the slot machine (be it the spouse's, a relative, or friend).

Doc H Dec-01-2022

ID?!?

Oh come on, who needs ID anymore for anything! Read about what is happening at the border. No id needed, with "free" healthcare, no COVID vaccine requirements, "free" phone, no background checks. Heck, it's reported all over the place they are putting no ID aliens up in luxury NYC hotels for "free" also with 3 meals a day, no ID. Come on, it's a new world order, who needs to show ID for anything anymore, including petty things like gambling winnings, right? 

Oh, you mean legal citizen have to show ID for gambling winnings, pay taxes, pay for things like healthcare, follow vaccine mandates or lose one's job in many cases? Pay for hotel stays, a phone? 

Oh wait, I forgot this is Lewis's buddies running the ship now, rules for me, not thee. Nevermind.

LynGHS Dec-01-2022

WI Indian Casino

I left WI 13 years ago, so this may not apply any longer... but at Potawatomi (near downtown Milwaukee), they would not pay out any jackpots that required a W2-G without seeing your Social Security Card. This is against the law, but being an Indian casino, they were presumably "above the law." I argued it over and over with them to no avail. Each W2-G event (yes, I played there more than I should have), meant going home, getting my SS Card (I never carried it) and returning to the casino to get paid. Total BS!

Kevin Lewis Dec-01-2022

Rant trigger

Doc H, are you taking your medications?

Doc H Dec-01-2022

script

yes, the "medication" is called reality.

As for "rants": from the individual who, far more than I, who for at least 4 years, spewed lots of ugly stuff on this forum with his obsession about the evil orange man? That's rich to talk about "rants". Pot, meet kettle, the image in the mirror looking back at the king of obsessive orange man rants, lol.

O2bnVegas Dec-01-2022

jackpot

Some states, like mine, still require the winner to present an actual SS card to be paid.  When I hit a jackpot I was not able to be paid until I returned to the casino (thankfully only 45 minutes away) and present my actual SS card.  Of course the card itself reads that the holder should never carry the card around.  I almost couldn't find the thing but finally did, returned another day to the casino and got my money.  This was years ago, so hopefully they've corrected this.

Candy

NeonGlo Dec-01-2022

Under Age

Way back around 1978 I won $1K on a nickel machine at the Fremont. They asked me to sign for it, but I didn't want them to find out I was under age. My husband showed up and I asked to let him sign. I was 19 or 20 but no one asked for my age or my I.D. Was the taxable limit was lower then, or maybe they it was just record-keeping, not for the IRS?

rokgpsman Dec-01-2022

SSN requirement

Since the whole point of the W-2G tax form is to report your jackpot winnings to the IRS it's understandable why your social security number must be on the form, along with your name and other data. That's so the IRS can make sure you don't fail to include the income on your tax forms. So if the casino doesn't already have your SSN on file in its player database they will insist that you give them your SSN before they pay you your jackpot. How else would the IRS know who got the jackpot winnings? The casino is just following tbe law. I think many casinos will accept what you tell them is your SSN and don't force you to show your actual SSN card. That's my experience in Tunica casinos. But YMMV, as they say.

OMB13 Dec-01-2022

Deke and Anthony

I'm not a proponent of editing our comments when they pertain to the subject being discussed, but please, please take out the comments that are way too political. They do nothing to enhance the LVA's reputation as the best website in the world to talk about Vegas and gambling.
Thanks
ND

AlwaysTails Dec-02-2022

I'm one of the few

Late december last year I hit a nice sized hand pay but I didn't want to get the tax hit in 2021 so I said I didn't have my ID with me. I had to sign some forms and I was told to come back later with my ID and claim the jackpot at the cage. I planned to go the next day Jan 1 2022 but wound up getting sick (mild case of covid). I spent the next few days stuck in my hotel room and flew home before getting the cash. I came back a couple of months later and was able to collect with no problems. At the time banks were still paying nothing so I figure I didn't lose out on anything.

rokgpsman Dec-03-2022

Remove the hateful insanity

I would welcome our LVA moderator to remove the political BS comments made in the QoD comments that add nothing but hate and divisive viewpoints. I'm sure the vast majority of others that come here for discussions on Vegas, gambling and related topics feel the same. So snip away, edit the crap out. The offenders will quickly learn this isn't the place for it, they can express themselves on other forums and LVA will be rid of political insanity. This isn't facebook or other alt-right sites for extreme rants to take place.

Question of the Day - 01 December 2022

Comments