So sad that you US guys have to pay tax on your winnings. You play with after tax dollars, so why the hell should you pay? It really is time you took your legislators to task. You put your quarter in a slot and win, you buy a lotto ticket and win, you win some funds at poker and pay tax on it all. The Beatles moved to the US to avoid paying 97 1/2c tx on every dollar they earned. Those days are long gone in the UK and should be in the US too. In hindsight, you pay $300 for a toilet plunger ( according to military spending accounts ) no wonder one of the most famous sayings is "there's one born every minute". If you keep $10k or less in a bank account, there's no way for the IRS to trace it, so sod em.