FAQ: what counts as a 'session' for IRS reporting?

[newbie nadia chi]

Following up on the earlier tax thread. If I play slots for 2 hours, take a break, come back later that day for another hour — is that one session or two for IRS Form W-2G / Schedule 1 purposes?

[Jules (mod)]

The IRS doesn't define 'session' rigidly. Practical guidance: a continuous period of play on one platform on one calendar day. If you break and resume, treat it as one session unless deposits or withdrawals happened in between. Document your reasoning if audited. For practical bookkeeping: Bovada, BetOnline, and Ignition all let you pull a per-day transaction report which maps naturally to the IRS session-day rule. Wild Casino's history is less granular — export weekly if you play there.