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Casino Secrets
By Larry Mak
By Larry Mak
Casino Q & A
Canadian winnings
Q: Do Canadian casinos report jackpot wins of U.S. citizens to the IRS?
A: No. Canadian casinos don’t tax any casino player. The player gets the full amount of a win. And unlike U.S.
casinos, Canadian casinos are not required to report gambling wins to the IRS.
However, the IRS considers winnings from any source of gambling as income. And U.S. citizens must declare any
slot machine profits above $1,200 on Income Tax Form 1040 under Other Income. If you have any questions about
Canadian winnings, speak with a tax consultant.
Q: Sometimes I see winning symbols appear just above or below the pay line. Does this mean anything?
A: No. It’s what’s called the “near-miss” feature. Many players get tricked into staying at a slot when they start
seeing winning symbols appearing just above, below, or partially on the pay line—like 7-7 bar.
They think they just missed the payout by a hair, and it’s a sign that the next few spins will do the trick. They won’t.
Winning symbols that occasionally appear on the screen like above are simply part of a losing spin. And a losing
spin is no sign of what’s going to happen when you make the next 10 or 100 spins. Just ignore these “near-miss”
winning symbols.
Q: Is it better to play slot machines during the week or on weekends?
A: A slot machine is nothing but a computer in slot’s clothing. And being a computerized machine, it doesn’t know or
care what day of the week it is. So there’s no “better” day of the week to play it.
There is, however, one advantage to playing during the week: the casino is less crowded and you have a better
selection of machines to choose from.
Q: After handing me a hand-pay, the slot attendant asked me to make another spin of the reels. Why did he ask me
to do this? Did I have to?
A: The reason the attendant asked you to make another spin is to erase the winning symbols on the screen and
put the machine back into play. You weren’t required to make that extra spin. It’s just considered casino etiquette.
Had you said no, the attendant would have made the spin.
Q: When the casino sees a slot player winning heavily, does it have a slot technician open up the slot and do
something to change its payout?
A: No. When a slot is paying out more than it’s programmed to, a slot technician may open it, but just to be sure it’s
operating properly and hasn’t been tampered with. There’s no button, switch, or anything the technician can use to
change a slot’s programmed payback. Such a device would be illegal.
Canadian winnings
Q: Do Canadian casinos report jackpot wins of U.S. citizens to the IRS?
A: No. Canadian casinos don’t tax any casino player. The player gets the full amount of a win. And unlike U.S.
casinos, Canadian casinos are not required to report gambling wins to the IRS.
However, the IRS considers winnings from any source of gambling as income. And U.S. citizens must declare any
slot machine profits above $1,200 on Income Tax Form 1040 under Other Income. If you have any questions about
Canadian winnings, speak with a tax consultant.
Q: Sometimes I see winning symbols appear just above or below the pay line. Does this mean anything?
A: No. It’s what’s called the “near-miss” feature. Many players get tricked into staying at a slot when they start
seeing winning symbols appearing just above, below, or partially on the pay line—like 7-7 bar.
They think they just missed the payout by a hair, and it’s a sign that the next few spins will do the trick. They won’t.
Winning symbols that occasionally appear on the screen like above are simply part of a losing spin. And a losing
spin is no sign of what’s going to happen when you make the next 10 or 100 spins. Just ignore these “near-miss”
winning symbols.
Q: Is it better to play slot machines during the week or on weekends?
A: A slot machine is nothing but a computer in slot’s clothing. And being a computerized machine, it doesn’t know or
care what day of the week it is. So there’s no “better” day of the week to play it.
There is, however, one advantage to playing during the week: the casino is less crowded and you have a better
selection of machines to choose from.
Q: After handing me a hand-pay, the slot attendant asked me to make another spin of the reels. Why did he ask me
to do this? Did I have to?
A: The reason the attendant asked you to make another spin is to erase the winning symbols on the screen and
put the machine back into play. You weren’t required to make that extra spin. It’s just considered casino etiquette.
Had you said no, the attendant would have made the spin.
Q: When the casino sees a slot player winning heavily, does it have a slot technician open up the slot and do
something to change its payout?
A: No. When a slot is paying out more than it’s programmed to, a slot technician may open it, but just to be sure it’s
operating properly and hasn’t been tampered with. There’s no button, switch, or anything the technician can use to
change a slot’s programmed payback. Such a device would be illegal.