I have a question I can't find a clear answer to. As a foreigner, what's the easiest way to deposit cash in Vegas? I'm not talking about big amounts, but what if I want to deposit $500? Or $5,000? Can I open a bank account in Vegas? Can the casino wire it for you? Do they charge for this service? What if it's table game or poker money? Will the casino still perform a wire if you have the chips on you? I've only heard about this with slot jackpots. It seems like getting cash is easy enough by using an ATM or depositing front money, but I never hear about getting money back home. Not that I pretend I'm going to win, but I wonder what happens to people who do and are foreigners.
Many Las Vegas casinos regularly accept wire transfers from and send wire transfers to bank accounts in foreign countries for non-U.S. residents, but there are procedural, tax, and regulatory details you need to know about and attend to.
Since we don't know what foreign country you want to do this from, we can't say for sure how easy it is to wire money out. But assuming you can do an international wire for your stated sums of $500 to $5,000, it's a fairly straightforward process, not that much different from within the U.S.
To deposit money from abroad, you call the cage, or your host if you have one, at the casino you want to transfer money to and request their precise wire-transfer instructions. You follow the transfer process, providing the bank's name, address, SWIFT/BIC code and/or IBAN, and routing number, and whatever personal details the cage wants from you. It's best if you have a players account at that casino, which will facilitate the process, since the casino has your personal information and you have a history of play there. Note that some casinos, especially the big ones on the Strip, have a minimum transfer requirement, often around $3,000, and it can take one to five business days for the funds to arrive and be available to you as front money. You should definitely contact the cage in five days to confirm the money has been received. Of course, both your bank and the casino will charge charge international-wire fees.
It's essentially the same process in reverse for wiring money from Las Vegas to your home bank. However, each casino makes its own policies on when and for how much it offers a wire transfer versus, say, a check. Some might prefer to hand you a check or mail it to your home, especially if it's for a very large or small amount of money. Wire transfers are more common for amounts above $5,000, but below, say, $100,000.
To process an international wire transfer, you’ll typically need to provide: valid government ID (passport) to prove your identity; your bank’s name and address; your account number; the bank’s SWIFT code/IBAN, routing numbers if required; the wire-authorization form signed by you; and often some tax documentation.
Non-U.S. residents are generally subject to a 30% federal withholding tax on gambling winnings. If your country has a tax treaty with the U.S., you might qualify for reduced withholding or an exemption, but you often must complete IRS forms (e.g., W-8BEN) and may need an ITIN (U.S. tax ID).
Other considerations might come into play. Casinos report large wins and wire transfers to the IRS (and often FinCEN) due to anti-money-laundering and tax rules. These reporting requirements don’t prevent the wire from being made, but you might be asked additional questions or for more documentation, especially if the amount is large or the destination bank is in a “high-risk” jurisdiction. Your home bank could put a temporary hold (e.g., several business days) on large incoming wires, while verifying the source; casinos are known sources, but banks still perform their own checks.
