Hi all,

British citizen here.

Won a decent amount of cash in Oklahoma which is now subject to federal taxes @ 30%.

Currently being held by the casino for the next 30 days whilst I try and find a way to get an ITIN.

Went to a CAA and have been advised that the realistic waiting time through the IRS would be 12 - 24 weeks!

SOLUTION?

Seriously considering a trip to Vegas over the next couple of days, hitting a handpay out of a high limit slot machine and going through an expedited ITIN process via a strip casino.

Scrolling through forums however, I'm finding mixed information on whether this is even possible anymore, with some threads saying that casinos didn't renew their license to issue ITINs, others saying that the IRS has pulled back on the scheme all together!

Does anyone know whether they'd do what they've done in the past and issue a ITIN on a handpay and if so, what are some safe bet casinos on the strip to sort this out at?

Hi! As a Swedish citizen with the same situation I can confirm that the following casinos 100% provide you with an ITIN if you hit a jackpot:

Venetian
Bellagio
Aria

Also got an ITIN in 2022 after hitting a handpay at Cosmo.

Basically I would assume that all the major high end Strip casinos will sort you out, albeit YMMV at RW/Fontainebleau because they're new.

others saying that the IRS has pulled back on the scheme all together!

They aren’t in a position to pull back on the scheme, this arrangement is the product of international agreement between countries and, thankfully, far beyond the remit of those scum at the IRS

It’s not about pulling back, it’s more about not all properties having a tax agent on site that can issue ITIN. I had the same problem once while staying at Harrahs, hit a $4000 jackpot and had to eat the 30% tax as they didn’t have a tax agent. They could also hold the win for me until I sorted one out.

The bigger properties like Aria, Bellagio and Venetian all do it, can’t advise on any of the others.

I think his issue was with the expedited process being called a "scheme" which has a negative connotation.

Surprised one of the other CET casinos couldn't sort you out.

OP, if you're talking about a slot machine or video poker to get a handpay, I'd suggest playing a big denomnation so that even a faitly minor score would get you over the limit. I play $1 credits and haven't had a hand pay in several years. But I played in a high limit room, and a guy got 2 or 3 hand pays in less than an hour. I can't remember what size credit he was playing. Be aware that it could cost you a few thousand bucks, so your tax bill needs to be higer than that.

You have a lot to learn about the IRS and the US and that "international agreements" are not worth the paper they are written on in this regard.

In regards to taxation of gambling winnings those international agreements work pretty well?

As long as you're not a US citizen you just have to move your tax residency to a country that doesn't tax gambling winnings and has a tax treaty with the US and you're good as long as you have the ITIN and don't spend more than 180 days a year in the US. That's the reason why you see the majority of European players only from May to mid July and then again for another 3 months or so in the Fall/Winter.

Foolish me, I thought maybe the WSOP running during those time periods may have been at least one reason why "the majority of European players" come only at those six months of time. .

I know a bunch of people who would spend much more time in Vegas if they were allowed to without having to establish a (tax) residence there. I would have done the same back in the day. If you're still officially enrolled at a university in a EU country that offers free college you can even use your (almost) free health insurance while in the US. That's the reason why it took me almost 5 years between finishing classes and handing in my master's thesis.

That said, I meant that the majority of European players you see at the WSOP and during Fall/Winter time aren't there the rest of the year. But that's obviously way less people than who come as tourists for the WSOP.

Is anyone really tracking how long some euro donk is in the US?

Try and find one of those touch screen roulette machines where there is a dealer present (or at least a real ball/wheel) and hope to dodge the 0/00? If the software doesn't allow for you to bet simultaneous black and red, you can bet 750 (IIRC the handpay limit is 1500?) black and then 750/18 on each of the red numbers inside. This should get you an insta-ITIN if done at the right property without worrying about slot churn--only worrying about the green zeroes!

Everything is tracked if your POE is a US airport. If you enter through a land border like San Diego things get a little more complicated. Overstaying your visa is usually a pretty bad idea in the US.

1000%. You get entry and exit stamps in your passport, immigration logs when you arrive and obviously when you leave too.

Yet thousands (millions?) do it without consequence. Catching such folk appears to be a very low priority for the feds.

Millions of people come illegally to the US via airplane?

Fun fact: Those undocumented people pay taxes in the US, too.

The topic of this thread is to avoid paying taxes on gambling winnings if you don't have to. If you win a casino jackpot as an undocumented immigrant living in the US, the IRS wants its share of that.

My comment was about overstaying their visa, not using an airport.

If you're a citizen of a visa-waiver country like OP is, overstaying your visa is plain stupid.

Has anyone confirmed if this might work? I'm a UK citizen hoping to play the WSOP, but only if i can get the tax situation sorted.

Fellow Swede here. Do you know if its the same at the WSOP? Do you need to arrange for the ITIN before you go or can that easily be solved over there in case of a bink?

You either apply for it from Sweden which takes a couple of weeks/months or you go degen and hit something on a slot or video poker machine. WSOP will not issue you ITIN automatically.