Hi,

I'm not a US resident (I'm from EU) and I'm wondering how I could play to Vegas say 6 month a year. What kind of visa should I get? Would I be granted a B1 visa for playing poker? Would it be renewed easily? If you have first-hand experience dealing with this, please post.

Thanks,
Your Chuck

yes, i'm sure one of the most ridiculous countries in the world in terms of immigration will give a business visa to someone from eastern europe who will say his occupation is gambling

I'd look into how long you can stay in the country as a tourist for. I'd also see how long you could stay in the country for before being subject to taxation. I'm guessing three months. But that's a guess.

You won't be granted a B1 visa to play poker. You're either going to come in for 90 days if you are from a Visa Waiver Country (note that not all EU countries are part of this) or have to apply for a B2.

It is not easily renewable and you just can't slip out of the US for a few days when your time is up and come back in again without eventually getting caught and potentially banned from the US. I went through this with an employee of mine a few years back. His girlfriend got in twice before being stopped at the border. It cost a lot of lawyer time to get it cleaned up.

Like most other countries, if you come in for more than a week or two they'll want proof that you have the savings to support yourself while you're here. In addition, all gambling winnings are taxable in the US no matter how long you stay. You'll need to keep a daily log because the IRS code doesn't allow you to net out your results over a period of time. Tax losses can only be taken if you itemize your deductions.

Sorry I meant a B2 indeed (tourist, not business).

@venice10: I see. Kind of what I thought indeed. That doesn't seems to work on the long term.

Is there a place in the world similar to Vegas? The difference between Vegas and a regular casino I've found is that in Vegas, there is a lots of vacationeers.

All gambling winnings are taxable? Even for tourists? So if you rock up in Vegas from the UK and win 10 grand, or a hundred bucks, you have to declare and pay tax on it? That wasn't my understanding.

Pretty sure the bolded is incorrect. There are always articles after the WSOP about which players net the most based on the tax laws of their home countries.

come as a tourist and stay what ever you are allowed. some times you can get an extension. or just fly home for awhile. vegas will burn you out anyway.

This is stupid, don't worry about taxes.

A simple google search will prove to you that you're wrong. If you win above a certain amount in a tournament, the casino will demand a tax information from you. If you are from outside the US and don't have a tax ID number, they'll ask for your passport and automatically withhold 28% of your winnings for taxes on the spot. If you want the taxes back, you'll have to file a US tax return in the following year to get it.

I'm aware of this. I just had details wrong. It depends on the tax treaty between the US and the player's home country.

http://www.taxabletalk.com/2015/11/1...-2015-edition/

So, for example, the IRS can't tax a UK player, but they can tax an Israeli.

Like anything else in poker - it depends.

it is important to know the laws and customs of any country you visit, especially if you are going to be more than a casual tourist.