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PTPoker Sites With No W-2 G Requirements
Most US poker players and other seasoned gamblers are familiar with the W-2 G form. This form is used to report gambling winnings as income to the IRS.
Gambling establishments typically send the form, and there are plenty of caveats regarding who should file it and when they need to do so. In some cases, you don’t even have to worry about it. This depends on the amount you’ve won, the type of gambling you’ve participated in, and the winnings-wager ratio.
Because it determines your tax obligations on winnings, many players look for sites that don’t have W-2 G requirements.
The good news is that there certainly are poker sites, at least on the international scene, without any W-2 G requirements, primarily because they operate from another country and thus don’t have to follow US gambling regulations. However, whether or not you’re still required to file the form on your own is a whole different matter.
Let’s take a better look at how this works so you know what to do, where to play online poker, and when or whether you should file a W-2 G.
Best Poker Sites With No W-2 G Requirements
We’ll explain how these sites work and when you need to worry about the W-2 G form, but for now, here’s our list of the top offshore poker sites that don’t send W-2 G forms to their players.
If you know everything you need to about the form and when to use it, you can choose a poker site and start playing. However, if you’re unfamiliar with the rules, keep reading the text and contact your lawyer or a tax professional to confirm what you must do after you’ve won something.
We update our list whenever we find a new poker site that fits our strict requirements and eliminate those that no longer meet our standards. Return to this list regularly to find new reputable poker sites without W-2 G requirements.
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What Is the W-2 G Form?
Form W-2G, Certain Gambling Winnings, or Form W-2 G for short, is an IRS document that every legal gambling establishment operating in the US must provide to players who achieved winnings in any given year. The form is used to report these winnings as income to the IRS when you’re required to do so.
The form includes information like:
- Player personal information and federal identification number
- The total amount of winnings
- Dates when those winnings were made
- Type of wager that resulted in those winnings
- How much state and federal income tax was withheld prior
Generally, the W-2 G contains all the information you need to pay taxes for a given year.
It’s important to understand that all gambling winnings are taxable in the US. However, only certain types of winnings need to be recorded with the help of W-2 G.
You should use form W-2 G to report winnings in the following circumstances:
- When winnings from slots and bingo games are $1,200 or higher
- When winnings from keno are $1,500 or higher
- When winnings from poker tournaments are $5,000 or higher
- When winnings from any type of gambling are $600, as long as the payout is at least 300 times the stake
As you can see, only the latter two circumstances can apply to poker players. If your situation falls into either of these two, you must file a W-2 G. The site where you’ve made your winnings is irrelevant.
The gambling establishment typically sends the form, but even if it fails to do so, you’re still required to do it yourself and report your earnings when filing taxes.
What Are Poker Sites With No W-2 G Requirements?
All offshore poker sites are platforms without any W-2 G requirements. That’s because offshore poker sites and other international gambling sites and establishments are not required to send W-2 G forms. They are technically excluded from this rule as they operate internationally with licenses from places like Malta, Panama, or Curacao and are thus not required to follow US laws and regulations on offline and online gambling.
However, you must still do it yourself as the form applies to specific types of winnings rather than the jurisdiction where they are made. In other words, though every offshore poker site is a poker site without W-2 G requirements, that doesn’t mean you should skip using the form if your situation requires it.
This shouldn’t diminish your enjoyment of offshore poker sites, as their benefits remain. Paying taxes is inevitable, so you should only worry about finding reputable and legitimate offshore poker sites that offer their services to US citizens, like the sites we recommend on this page.
Why Should I Use Poker Sites Without W-2 G Requirements?
Besides the fact that they don’t send W-2 G forms, there are plenty of other reasons you should consider offshore poker sites. Here are the main ones:
- Improved privacy — Offshore poker sites are often an attractive option for their high levels of privacy. They usually operate from countries where gambling laws are more relaxed, which translates to less complex rules for players.
- More payment options — Since these sites operate in other countries with more relaxed rules, they can easily make deals with a broader range of payment providers. That’s why you’ll get to complete deposits and withdrawals with a wide range of credit cards, e-wallets, and even cryptocurrencies.
- Bigger player base — Unlike US poker sites, which are usually tied to the state they are in, offshore ones have an international player base. This means you’ll have many more people to play against at all times of the day and even at night. The sites are full 24/7 because of their international audience.
- More tournaments and cash games — Offshore sites have more available cash games and more frequent tournaments to participate in. There is enough variety here to suit both casual players and high rollers.
- More rewarding bonuses — Offshore poker rooms are ideal places for players looking to take advantage of deposit offers, freerolls, and loyalty programs. They often have a wider pool of promotions and are almost always more rewarding, but they tend to have more complex terms.
How We Pick the sites With No W-2 G Requirements
We have a tried and true method of picking the best poker sites for our readers. It involves an arduous review process where we look into several aspects all poker rooms have in common, including:
- Bonuses
- Tournaments
- Security
- Customer support
Only after we ensure that the site passes all of these with flying colors do we recommend it. Let’s review those aspects so you know how this method works.
Security
One of the most essential features is security. We only look for sites with strong security measures, including robust firewalls and SSL security.We also favor providers with straightforward complaint resolution methods allowing widely recognized third parties like eCOGRA to handle complaints and disputes that require an unbiased third party.
Online Reputation
Reputation matters a lot in the world of online gambling and poker. That’s why we look into what other players have said about a site before we give it the green light. If there are too many unsolved complaints, a lack of interest from the site in resolving them, and other largely negative feedback, we eliminate a candidate from consideration.On the other hand, if the online feedback is mainly positive, the poker site is likely a good one. However, it still has to pass other criteria.
Cash Games and Tournaments
Two of the main things a poker site needs to have in abundance are poker tournaments and cash games. As long as they are diverse and of higher quality, it’s a good sign that the online poker room is good to use.When it comes to poker games, you want to see No Limit Texas Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, Spin & Go’s, Razz, Badugi, and others. And as for poker tournaments, the important thing is that their number is high. The more frequent they are, the better.
Naturally, they should also have diverse buy-ins and other terms to cover every type of poker player.
Bonuses and Promotions
Offshore poker sites often feature many bonuses and promotions, especially large welcome packages, to attract new players.However, we don’t only look for the quantity of offers, but their quality. This means that the rewards should be good, but it also means that the terms are not overly complex.
Website and Desktop App Design
Poker players prefer to play within specially designed software clients on desktop, so we primarily look for poker sites that offer these. That’s because these clients are typically more reliable and feature better usability, which can be important when you’re playing against other players and time is of the essence.Sometimes sites are enough, but they must be highly user-friendly and reliable, without sudden lags and bugs ruining the experience.
Mobile User Experience and Apps
The same principle applies to mobile as it does to desktop. This means well-optimized sites and dedicated apps you can download on most Android and iOS devices.Naturally, this also entails cash games and tables with good design, so playing live can be easy and seamless.
Payment Methods
Offshore poker sites typically have many payment methods, as we previously mentioned. However, we always go deeper than just the list of available options.We also check the processing times, fees, limits, and more. We especially look into limits, as many high rollers need higher limits to accommodate their playing style.
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Final Thoughts
Form W-2 G is used to report profits from certain types of gambling, including online poker. The form is handed by the gambling establishment where the winnings were made, but offshore poker sites are not required to use it.
Poker players can use offshore sites as long as they find licensed and reputable online poker rooms with no W-2 G requirements, like the ones we recommend here. However, they still have to pay taxes on their winnings, just as they would on any other US gambling site, which can still include filing W-2 G forms.
The important thing is that the sites we recommend here are safe to use and offer a wide range of benefits like regular tournaments, numerous cash games, bonuses, 24/7 support, and more. The only thing left is to pick a poker site from our list, create an account, make a deposit and claim the welcome offer, and start having fun.
FAQ
Do I have to pay taxes on poker winnings?
Yes, you must pay taxes on all gambling winnings in the US. All gambling winnings are fully taxable, so you must report that income when filing your taxes. In general, you’ll have to pay 24% of your winnings (this can change depending on your state), and you’ll have to file the W-2 G form.
Can I deduct my poker losses?
Yes, you can write off your gambling losses, but you must itemize the deductions and record every win and loss you’ve incurred. Also, the losses cannot be higher than the winnings you’ve reported on your return.
Do poker sites report your winnings to the IRS?
Yes, all legal gambling establishments in the US must report your winnings. However, there is a difference in the amount threshold after which they are required to do so. For poker tournaments, it’s $5,000.
Are there any poker sites that don’t report my winnings to the IRS?
Offshore poker sites don’t report your winnings, and they also don’t send you a W-2 G form. They operate outside the US, and even though they accept US citizens, they are not required to adhere to US regulations. However, this doesn’t mean you’re exempted from filing the W-2 G form on your own. All gambling winnings are fully taxable, regardless of where they are made.
Do I have to file a W-2 G if the poker site doesn’t send it?
Yes, regardless of whether the site sends a W-2 G form, you still have to pay taxes on your gambling winnings. The place where you’ve won them is irrelevant, and so is the type of gambling.
Online poker is illegal in my state, so do I need to pay taxes from offshore poker site winnings?
Yes, you should. The IRS is interested in getting their share of your winnings, not where they are made. The IRS might check your tax records at any time and find out that you’ve committed tax evasion, which can lead to having to pay back taxes, plus penalties and interest, and maybe even imprisonment. Consult your lawyer to ensure you’re not breaking any laws.
