One of the things that makes online gambling so popular is the thrill of a successful gamble. If you walk into a casino and drop a few thousand on a game, you may feel pretty good about yourself. However, as great as this moment might be, it might not be as good as you think. There is always the chance that you could lose the money you just won! When this happens, it’s not like you can just turn around and walk out the door. You’re going to have to deal with the consequences of your actions – and these could be pretty serious. Let’s take a look at what could happen if you win a lot of money on a gambling site and how you should handle these situations.
Tax Problems
If you’re a taxpayer and you ever read a blog post, article, or listen to an interview containing the words ‘tax’ and ‘gambling’, you’ll know that a lot of people get tangled up in tax problems when they win big on online slots. Even if you’ve been playing slots for years and are well aware of how the system works, you may still find yourself in a bit of a pickle when it comes to reporting your winnings from online gambling. What happens is this; when you win a large amount of money on a slot machine, the site you’ve played on will send you an email or text message notifying you of your winnings. In some cases, the site will even prepare and send you a tax form to fill out and send back, which you should do as soon as possible. The reason this happens is because once you reach a certain amount, you begin to earn ‘large gains’ – meaning the profits from your gambling exceed $600 for 2018. You’ll also need to pay social security on your winnings (if you’re an employee) and income tax on your profits (if you’re a professional). When you start to play on a regular basis and earn a substantial income from online gambling, you’re going to want to make sure you’re aware of how to handle your winnings and ensure you file your returns in time. Luckily, dealing with tax forms is a one-time incident if you follow the right protocols… but it’s still something you need to be mindful of. Playing on a taxed website isn’t the same as playing on an untaxed website. Even if you pay taxes on your earnings, you still have to report your winnings on a tax-deductible form. In the case that you don’t win any money from gaming, you don’t have to worry about tax forms since you won’t have any earnings to report.
Legal Troubles
While most people play it safe and are content to simply report their winnings or don’t play when they’re under the age of 18, others choose to risk it all and see what happens. Unfortunately, some people have used their newfound wealth to indulge their expensive habits and had to face legal troubles as a result. In one of the worst cases, a 28-year-old man from Tennessee was indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering following a two-year investigation into an alleged Ponzi scheme which targeted several hundred victims across the country. According to court documents, the defendant began soliciting investments from his newfound friends and family in 2017. They were asked to invest between $5,000 and $25,000 in a purported crypto currency called ‘Dope Coin’, which was then used to purchase gaming devices and gift cards. The defendant allegedly told his victims that he was purchasing the gaming equipment with the proceeds of a winning lottery ticket, claiming he’d hit it big and needed to hide his identity to avoid being recognized. After pleading not guilty, the defendant was hit with a ten-year ban from any involvement in the gaming industry and was also ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution to his victims. It’s important to note that while this might be a worst-case scenario, it’s also pretty rare. Most people who play on bigger sites like these aren’t going to have any legal issues since they’re generally trusted members and aren’t violating any of the rules. However, as with any other form of gambling, users have to be aware of the risks and know what they’re doing. In this case, it was deemed that the defendant had ‘reasonable suspicion’ that he was running a Ponzi scheme, which put him at risk of being accused of fraud. Although the chances of you being accused of a crime for playing on a legal site are very slim, it’s still something you have to be aware of when choosing to play on the web. You might also choose to play on a site with a higher degree of security in case you’re worried about something like this happening. While this might be somewhat of a paranoia purchase, it doesn’t hurt to be a little cautious.
Broken Promises
There are some unscrupulous people out there who will take your money and run, ignoring or breaking their promises to pay you back. Although this might not seem like a common problem on bigger sites where you’re more likely to meet people who are committed to playing responsibly, it still happens occasionally on small sites where word spreads quickly that a certain casino or betting establishment isn’t trustworthy. Even if you play safely and don’t take any risks, it’s something you have to keep in mind when choosing where you place your bets. It would be great if all casinos and betting sites were honest and trustworthy, but this is far from the case so you have to keep your eyes open for any discrepancies. If you do discover that a certain site is acting unlawfully, you have the right to report them to the authorities. Even though it’s not likely that you’ll face any consequences for playing responsibly and legally, it’s still something you need to be aware of when choosing where you place your bets.
Bank Account And Credit Card Issues
There are other, more common ways in which people run into trouble when they win big on a website. One of the most serious problems is when someone tries to withdraw money from their account following their win. Most sites will allow you to cash out any amount you’ve won, no problem. The issue comes in when you try to withdraw more than what you’ve won. Even if the casino or gaming establishment is willing to let you do this, it’s usually not a good idea. It would be best for both parties if you contacted the bank or credit card company in advance to negotiate a limit on how much you can withdraw. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you’re being blocked by your financial institution and the casino or game site won’t budge on their end. It’s often the case that these places just want to keep the money as payment for lodging and food, so they don’t have to provide these services for free. In this situation, you may have to contact the police or file a complaint, depending on the jurisdiction.
Problems With Identity Theft
Identity theft is another issue which sometimes comes up after people win big on online casinos and gaming sites. It’s more common on smaller sites where there’s less of a chance of scammers trying to take advantage of naive users. Nevertheless, even on these sites, scammers will try to steal your information to get access to your accounts. It’s a sad fact that a lot of people have had their identities stolen by cybercriminals, who then used their personal info to commit crimes and create financial havoc. When this happens, it’s not like the bank or credit card companies are doing you any favors by letting you make these limited withdrawals. They’ll most likely try to prevent you from doing so, especially if you keep winning. In some cases, people have lost their homes, families, and financial security as a result of identity theft. It’s important to note that this is a very serious issue and it’s up to you to make sure that your personal information is kept safe. You have to be extra careful whenever you’re using public Wi-Fi, which can sometimes be tricky to protect your information when you’re out and about. It would be best to always use a VPN when you’re online, which will encrypt your connection and give you greater security. Playing on a safe site isn’t enough. You have to be smart about where you place your bets and who you play with, too.
As you can see, there are a lot of ways in which people can run into legal or financial problems when they win big on a site. This isn’t something you should take lightly. You need to be aware of these risks and aware of what happens when you play on a site with a particular jurisdiction. Most of these risks can be avoided by playing responsibly and legally, but it’s still something you need to keep in mind whenever you make a wager. If you’re going to make a risky bet, be sure to negotiate with the casino beforehand on how they plan to handle situations like this if you lose. It can be a tedious process, but it’s worthwhile if you want to continue playing safely. Good luck out there.