Casinomeister said:
In Germany, it's the same. Winnings are not taxed.
Depends on where the gambling takes place. In E.U. countries, lottery (includes casino games and sports betting) winnings are not taxed as long as the lottery takes place in the E.U. If the "lottery" takes place outside the E.U., you gotta pay tax.
Say you play at a Costa Rica based casino, or Lasseters in Australia. Winnings are taxed.
That's why I play in E.U. casinos, Gibraltar included. When you win, you need a certificate from the casino declaring where the lottery took place. There is some dispute over how this is determined (when the company is in Gibraltar, but the server is, say, on the Moon), but I think the determining factor is where the company is registered.
If your certificate says Gibraltar, that's EU, fine, no tax. But you still have to report the income. Of course, if you pay taxes from your Costa Rica winnings, you can deduct your gambling losses for the year.
It's a smart policy IMO. The E.U. encourages us to spend our money within the E.U., keeps the economy going.
As for our brothers and sisters across the pond, I wouldn't personally recommend trying to screw the IRS.....but that's just my opinion. Ending up in a small cell with a rather large guy called Bubba who calls you sweetheart....not my cup o' tea....
Cheers,
SM