Factors like when the dealer must hit/stand, the presence of the surrender rule and altered payouts for a winning blackjack (e.g. Do online casinos pay 3:2 or 6:5?) all impact on house edge. The number of slots for real money is important at any casino, but as game lovers we also check that the lobby has a good variety. This includes classic slot machines, progressive jackpots and multi-payline slots. We also value online casinos that keep up with the latest slots and providers.
If you've ever won a jackpot in Las Vegas, you probably know that your excitement diminishes at least a little when the casino throws a W-2G tax form in your face. In fact, if you don’t provide your social security number, the casino will automatically withhold up to 30% of your winnings. The same goes for lottery and horse racing wins above $1200. Yet when playing online, paying taxes isn’t always so black and white.
Americans who play at US-based online casinos will usually have to deal with withholding taxes just like in Las Vegas. Yet that only represents a small fraction of your entertainment options. When playing at licensed offshore online casinos or poker rooms, American players usually won’t hear the words taxes mentioned at all.
Sadly, it is never safe to assume that your winnings are ultimately tax-free. It is true that Americans who play at internet gambling sites outside of the USA won’t be subject to withholding taxes when withdrawing their winnings. Yet you may be required to report these gains when you file your taxes in April. The greatest determinant is the number, size, and frequency of your wins. The actual threshold varies from state to state and whether or not you are an amateur or professional. For more information on reportable gambling winnings visit the IRS guide: https://www.irs.gov/instructions/iw2g/ar02.html
Whether or not you qualify as a professional gambler doesn’t solely depend on your performance at the tables. The main litmus test is the expectation and probability of profit in the eyes of the Internal Revenue Service. Your success and whether or not you have a regular job on top of gambling may also be factors.
With even amateur gamblers having to deal with taxes, professional gambling does have benefits. You can actually deduct your wins from your losses when your treat your gameplay as a business. No matter what your current status is and how often you play, it's best to keep tabs on your performance to develop strategies, stick to a budget, and simply know where you stand. You can find this tip sheet courtesy of the IRS: https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc419.html
Whether or not the IRS can actually track your winnings is another matter entirely. Yet you should be aware of your obligations. With a huge budget deficit and ballooning debt, the federal government is looking to fill their financial holes any way they can. Between the NSA and modern forensic accounting practices, covering your digital tracks is more difficult than it used to be.
The United States is a bit of an outlier when it comes to taxing gambling winnings. In the United Kingdom, the government taxes the gross profits of casino operators rather than players. Canadians can play the lottery, live casinos, poker and online games without paying taxes unless they are a professional. Likewise, Australians and New Zealanders can also gamble tax-free. To put things in perspective, Americans do pay some of the lowest personal income taxes in the first world. Things tend to even out in the end.
Like anything else, interpreting the rules is always a matter of debate. Here's an interesting tax perspective for Canadians: http://business.financialpost.com/personal-finance/tax-expert-a-gamble-over-poker-winnings
Keep in mind that Americans have to deal with both Federal and State taxes on most forms of income. Always keep basic records no matter how often you play or win. This will make things easier during tax season.
No matter where you live, it's always best to discuss your personal situation with a licensed tax professional in your area. You can usually get a short consultation for free with complete confidentiality. It's the best way to play by the rules while minimizing your tax burden.
MatchPay Casinos allow online gamblers to use the peer-to-peer payment service to deposit and withdraw funds at some online casinos.
The big advantage of MatchPay is it allows US players to move funds from their Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, or CashApp accounts into your online casino account.
At the moment, Bovada is the only US online casino that takes MatchPay. Take into account, however, that this deposit option is not available to all players.
Once you create your online casino account at Bovada, check if MatchPay appears on your list of available payment methods. If it doesn’t, make sure to contact their customer service to see if they can make the service available for you.
MatchPay is a peer-to-peer credit trading marketplace that matches credit users with creditors. MatchPay allows buyers (credit users) and sellers (creditors) to trade money quickly and securely through different payment methods
The more accounts you hold at the different payment services, the faster you’ll get a match on MatchPay. These are the payment services that MatchPay traders can use:
RANK | MATCHPAY CASINO | BONUS | MIN/MAX DEPOSITS | PLAY NOW |
---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | Bovada Casino | 100% up to $3,000 | Min/Max Deposits: $20-$1000 | Play Now |
The best online casino that accepts MatchPay is Bovada Casino. At the moment, Bovada is the only casino site that accepts real money play from US residents and supports MatchPay deposits and payouts.
Bovada is the US successor to Bodog, the world famous Canadian online casino. Read our Bovada Casino review to learn more about the site.
Bovada’s deposit limits for MatchPay are $20 to $1000. When you make a deposit using MatchPay, you’ll receive a 100% deposit bonus up to $1000 on your first deposit (code: CAWELCOME100). You’ll also receive a 100% bonus up to $1000 deposit on your second and third deposits (code: BV2NDCWB).
Whether depositing or withdrawing from Bovada, players who want to use this helpful banking method need to create a MatchPay account. This MatchPay account will be linked solely to your Bovada account and cannot be used for outside trades. Once the cash is out of your Bovada account, the money can be moved to other online payment services.
Funding your Bovada account with MatchPay may seem difficult, but in reality, it is quite straightforward. Follow the steps below for a seamless experience using MatchPay at Bovada.
Choosing MatchPay as your withdrawal method lets you withdraw winnings into a variety of payment services: Paypal, Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App.
You won’t receive payments directly into your bank account, but once you have it in your payment service, you can send payouts to your bank using the payment gateways described above.
Yes, US players can use MatchPay to make a deposit. In fact, MatchPay is especially interesting to US players, because many general payment services like PayPal and Venmo do not allow gambling payments in the US.
MatchPay acts as a stopover point between an online casino and the payment service (Venmo, PayPal, etc.)
Once the money is in your MatchPay account, Venmo or PayPal doesn’t see the cash as associated with online gambling. They maintain their policies, but Americans can quickly move cash to their Venmo or PayPal account.
Plain and simple, MatchPay casinos help US players use their PayPal or Venmo balances to gamble online. US players have wanted that ability for years, so Bovada finally made it happen.
You’ll need to make one additional online transaction, but MatchPay trades are fast, private, and safe. MatchPay uses the latest encryption technology and transfer methods that have worked online for years.