What Detail Level is Required for Casino Gambling Logs for Tax Reporting?

While the IRS doesn't specify an exact format for gambling logs, they do expect you to keep records that can substantiate your gambling wins and losses. For casino gambling, you should aim to document: - Date and time of your gambling activity - Name and location of the casino - Type of game played - Amount won or lost - Witnesses present, if any (like friends who were with you) You don't need to document every single hand of blackjack, but recording your starting bankroll, ending bankroll, and duration of play helps establish your pattern of gambling. Many players keep notes in their phone right after leaving a table or use casino ATM receipts to track withdrawals and final cash-outs. What's most important is consistency - having a system you follow each time. This creates a more convincing record if you're ever questioned about your gambling activities during an audit.

After dealing with similar record-keeping headaches, I started using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) for organizing my gambling records. It helped me transform my messy casino notes and player's card statements into proper documentation that actually worked during an audit. What I like is that it analyzes your gambling patterns and helps identify if your documentation is sufficient or has gaps the IRS might question. I upload my casino win/loss statements and my personal notes, and it creates a comprehensive gambling log that meets IRS standards. Saved me hours of stressing about whether my records were detailed enough.

Wanted to follow up about that taxr.ai site. I signed up and used it for organizing my sports betting records. What impressed me was how it handled my mix of online and in-person betting. The system actually flagged some gaps in my documentation I hadn't considered - like how I wasn't noting the specific games/teams for my in-person bets, just amounts and dates. It generated a proper gambling log that combined my casino player's card statements with my personal notes. Much more organized than the shoebox of receipts and notes in my phone I was using before!

If you're struggling with getting through to the IRS about gambling loss deductions or documentation requirements, I highly recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I spent WEEKS trying to get clarification about gambling log requirements after getting flagged for review. Couldn't get through the phone queue and was going crazy. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of the 3+ hour wait I was facing. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The agent I spoke with gave me specific guidance about what they look for in gambling logs for different types of gambling. Huge relief to get definitive answers.

I need to apologize about my skepticism. I tried Claimyr after commenting here and I'm shocked it actually worked. After weeks of not getting through to the IRS, I was connected in about 20 minutes. The IRS agent I spoke with explained that for casino gambling, they primarily want to see consistency in reporting and reasonable documentation - they understand nobody's writing down every blackjack hand. He said my approach of recording date, location, game type, and session win/loss was sufficient as long as I also keep supporting documents like casino ATM receipts and player's card statements when available.

I'm a regular at several casinos and what I do is take a quick bathroom break every hour or so and jot down quick notes in my phone - rough chip count, approximate time, and any significant wins/losses. Then when I'm done for the day, I compile it all into a more organized log. Also, ALWAYS get a receipt when you cash out, and if you buy in at the table with cash, I ask for a receipt for that too. Most casinos will provide one if you ask. These receipts plus my notes have been enough documentation for me for years.

Does anyone use a specific app for tracking gambling? I've been using a spreadsheet but wondering if there's something better. My casino trips are usually multiple days and I play different games each day, so it gets complicated fast.

As someone who's dealt with gambling record-keeping for several years, I'd recommend keeping it simple but consistent. Your approach of noting date, location, game type, and net win/loss is actually quite good - the IRS understands that detailed hand-by-hand tracking isn't practical for table games. What I've found helpful is to supplement basic session logs with any receipts you can collect: ATM withdrawals, cash-out tickets, comp receipts, even parking stubs. These help corroborate your gambling activity and show you were actually at the casino on the dates you claim. For blackjack specifically, I usually note my buy-in amount, any significant wins during the session (like if I hit blackjack several times or had a particularly good/bad streak), and my final cash-out. The key is being able to demonstrate a reasonable pattern of gambling activity that matches any W-2Gs you receive and supports the losses you're claiming as deductions. Don't overthink it - consistency in your record-keeping method is more important than capturing every minute detail.