callipygian said:
That's only because you would receive a W-2G for your $15,000 jackpot and you legally can't fail to report that.
If you put a penny into a slot machine and win $1 on one trip and then lose four quarters on your next trip, the proper thing to do is to report winnings of $1 counteracted with a loss of $1. But it's fine (IMO) to just put $0 for each.
In the space between "I sunk my loose change into a slot machine" and "I won enough to generate a W-2G" is the "it's up to your conscience" zone.
If you put a penny into a slot machine and win $1 on one trip and then lose four quarters on your next trip, the proper thing to do is to report winnings of $1 counteracted with a loss of $1. But it's fine (IMO) to just put $0 for each.
In the space between "I sunk my loose change into a slot machine" and "I won enough to generate a W-2G" is the "it's up to your conscience" zone.