Many gamblers and tax professionals want to know when casinos send out their win/loss statements. The short answer is “it depends.”

First of all, it is important to realize that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has no authority to regulate the format, production or timing of casino win/loss statements.

Second, casino win/loss statements are provided as a courtesy by casinos to gamblers and every casino has its own way of doing things.

What this means is that the casinos do not have a set deadline for the production or availability of win/loss statements. Nor is there a governmental or industry-standard format with minimum reporting requirements for the win/loss statements.

The identity verification requirements also vary from casino to casino. Some casinos require that casino win/loss statements be requested in person. Other casinos allow telephonic requests once certain confidential information has been verified. Still other casinos require certain documents be faxed to them. Of course, a few industry-leading casinos allow their win/loss statements to be downloaded once a gambler login to his or her Player’s Card account.