Broke Even at the Casino? You Still Owe Taxes in 2026 Gambling Tax Law Updates

Imagine breaking even at the casino and still owing taxes. Beginning in 2026, Congress approved a new rule that limits gambling loss deductions to 90%. That means if you win $10,000 and lose $10,000, you could still owe taxes on $1,000 of phantom income. Today, we're breaking down the new gambling tax rule that quietly slipped into law, why it creates phantom income for gamblers, and what casual and professional gamblers need to do right now to protect themselves. 👉 Get the Free Tax Savings Starter Kit Built for Small Business Owners: 🚀 Book your free demo call today. Click here or visit: Chapters (00:00) The Tax Trap Nobody's Talking About How the One Big Beautiful Bill created a situation where breaking even at the casino still leaves you with a tax bill, and why every gambler needs to pay attention. (00:45) The Old Rule: How Gambling Losses Used to Work If you itemized and broke even, no tax. If you took the standard deduction, losses did not count. (02:00) The New 90% Rule & Phantom Income Starting in 2026, only 90% of your losses are deductible, even if you itemize. Win $10,000, lose $10,000, and you're now paying tax on $1,000 you never kept. That's phantom income, and it's the new reality. (04:00) Professional Gamblers: It Gets Worse Pro gamblers file on Schedule C and can deduct business expenses like travel and lodging. But losses plus expenses cannot exceed gambling income. They cannot offset other income, cannot carry losses forward, and starting in 2026, the 90% loss cap applies to them too. (09:00) Good News: The W-2G Threshold Finally Goes Up The slot reporting threshold rises from $1,200 to $2,000 in 2026 and will adjust for inflation. This does not change what you owe. All gambling income is still reportable. It only reduces the number of W-2Gs issued. (10:00) Record Keeping: Your Most Important Tool Right Now Casino reports can overstate income. Keep your own log with the date, casino, type of wager, and net win or loss per session. Track sessions, not individual bets. (12:30) Key Takeaways All winnings are taxable. Losses only offset if you itemize. The 90% cap creates phantom income. Plan under current law. Podcast Host: Mike Jesowshek, CPA – Founder and Host of Small Business Tax Savings Podcast Join TaxElm: 🚀 Visit: 🚀 Check Out TaxElm: 🚀 Join our Free Facebook Group: 🚀 YouTube: 👋🏼 GET IN TOUCH You can Tweet @MJesowshek with any feedback, ideas, or thoughts about the lessons you've learned from the episodes. We want to thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 🙌LEAVE A REVIEW If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps more business owners find the show ⭐ 🎙 ABOUT THE PODCAST The Small Business Tax Savings Podcast is your go-to resource for cutting-edge tax strategies to help entrepreneurs legally slash their tax bills. Hosted by Mike Jesowshek, CPA, this show breaks down complex tax topics into clear, no-fluff insights so you can keep more of your hard-earned money.

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Broke Even at the Casino? You Still Owe Taxes in 2026 Gambling Tax Law Updates is an episode from Small Business Tax Savings Podcast by Mike Jesowshek, CPA.

This episode is 17:52 long.

This episode was published on Feb 25, 2026.

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