Does anyone keep a gambling log?

After doing my taxes this year, I vowed that I would get better about keeping a log of my wins and losses, but since I didn't start in January of this year, I thought that I'll definitely start one in January 2017. Then I decided, no time like the present, and I started one with my last casino visit on Saturday.

I'm not talking writing down specific machine numbers or anything like that (like the IRS wants you to do) but rather, what did you start with at the beginning and what did you end with. I know some people are on here are really good about knowing what's in their wallet/purse at any time, but I'm not one of them. And I tend to like to forget about the walks of shame or losses when I have losing trips, but I need to get better about that too just so I can see if I'm really actually doing well gambling or not.

I also wrote down "highlights," like, "won Minor progressive on Thunder Cash at $371" or "had a nice bonus on Buffalo Stampede." If I ever win a handpay again I'll definitely make note of it too!

Just wondering if anyone else does this. Or if I have too much time on my hands? :)

We probably do too much. On 3 x 5 card jot down name of machine, $ in and $ out, and lastly credits earned. Also have log on envelop of dollars taken to casino and dollars brought home. We keep the slot money separate from other spending cash. This year with Cathy's hand pay we may use this as back up to claim our gambling losses. The 3 x 5 card thing takes about 1 minute per machine, no big deal. Gotten pretty good at just a few letters to name machine.

I don't but I'm thinking I may start.

I forgot a W-2 in 2014 and so I got a nice note from the IRS saying I owe them more money. I wrote a detailed letter and attached all of my W/L statements that show that my losses definitely cover my wins (surprisingly
not by a crazy amount but a clear difference). Waiting to hear how they respond. If they don't accept the statements as enough proof, which may be a distinct possibility, I'll pay it bc I don't have any other real proof and will start a detailed log going forward.


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I track my win/loss for slotting for each day of each trip. I also keep track of my coin in and comps earned (theo or theoretical win that the casino tracks) for each trip. I could never keep track of my play at each machine. I'm just not disciplined enough. I usually play the same machines so I figure if I ever had to I could create a fairly accurate estimate of an actual daily log. I keep everything on the notes app on my phone.


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I've never tracked my casino visits. For the past 15 or so years I've only relied upon the win/loss statements at tax time and have never had any problems. I go there to gamble and enjoy my casino visits, I don't go there to be an accountant - that's just me : )

No just look at overall win loss

Isn't there an app designed for tracking W/L?

I keep a journal of all my casino trips with beginning points, points each day plus bonus points, and end of trip points - and if I get a handpay. Since James and I gamble together - this is a little harder but I keep a record of how much we won or lost for trip too. That's pretty easy because we don't take money= we take out markers and at the end of the trip - I pay off the markers with what we have won or have left and write a check for the difference. We keep a separate checking account that is used for only this.

Also - if I cash in freeplay and any concerts that weekend - I write that down too.

NO..I look at it like this its Obummys job to keep track of my gambling losses .HHH...... no I brake even at the end of the year usaly.

Yes I do. Place/time in,out/ win/loss for that day. Totaled monthly, and of course at the yr. end. Never had an audit (yet), but 'just in case' as they do not have to accept win/loss statements as proof.

I've tried several times to start a log, but never seem to follow through. Coushatta had free logs in the players club last year and I tried using them. I liked the log, just kept forgetting to update. I wish an easy app for android would be developed.

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I keep basic tracking on Excel spreadsheet. I put the casino, destination such as Las Vegas - V/P & Caesars, I include date range 4/22-4/26 and net loss or net win. I also have a separate tab in the spreadsheet with a list of handpays with the date, casino and amount.

I don't detail all of the machines I play etc.

I started tracking a couple years ago, not really for IRS but it was an eye opener for me to see how much I was losing at the casino for my entertainment expenses :-)

It has really helped me to cut back or at least be more aware of where I am. Using excel is nice because I can use auto sum to calculate for me.

I wonder if we can submit our Trip Reports from the forum as proof for the IRS HHH


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@Blase, we started keeping a log this year, we used to just reference our calendar entries for overnight stays previously to track our trips but this is much better at seeing how much our entertainment costs us (and how often we go)
We log the date(s) of the trip (even an evening at the local with # hours there), location, cash brought, cash coming home with, free play amount, points or other freebie perks (picked up a purse, or comp show tickets, etc).
We don't track tips separately so we know if we came home even, we are ahead gamblingwise since we drink and tip cash at the lounges.
Also, if our offers change, it's a good way for us to reference why they changed.
I also keep casino mailers in a folder in case we want to take a spur of the moment trip, we can compare offers easily.

I keep an excel spreadsheet. Dates of trip, casino, starting bankroll, jackpots $ hit, how much of jackpot $I lose during the trip, final win or loss, freeplay $, comp points earned, tips $ , and a notes section for concerts/comps, etc.

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I also keep an excel spreadsheet with dates, location (Las Vegas, Biloxi) and net win/loss for the trip.

Oh, I also have in my log where the start $s came from, as in ATM/bank/CU/saving/checking/, and save the slips/and check book logs.

Have' free' play, comps on a separate log. Someday the IRS may get the idea that they're missing their chance on taxing 'free' play, comp $s, rooms , etc.
They make a big difference in your win/losses when added to 'wins'.

I hate paperwork. My husband and I own a small business and I run it. I love doing the creative part of the job, but I hate the detailed reports and paperwork, so I've created simple systems to help ease the pain.

With regard to gambling, I don't carry a purse, unless I am in a casino and we only go to Las Vegas once a year and NA casinos twice, so I only have to worry about three trips. Any W2s go in it. At the end of the year, for the past several years, I have the exact number of W2s for income and print off win/loss statements for any offset.

Kind of a lazy way to do it, but it works for us.

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Originally Posted by Georgiagambler

I keep basic tracking on Excel spreadsheet. I put the casino, destination such as Las Vegas - V/P & Caesars, I include date range 4/22-4/26 and net loss or net win. I also have a separate tab in the spreadsheet with a list of handpays with the date, casino and amount.

I don't detail all of the machines I play etc.

I started tracking a couple years ago, not really for IRS but it was an eye opener for me to see how much I was losing at the casino for my entertainment expenses :-)

It has really helped me to cut back or at least be more aware of where I am. Using excel is nice because I can use auto sum to calculate for me.

I wonder if we can submit our Trip Reports from the forum as proof for the IRS HHH


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For the past several years I've done the same excel spreadsheet as Georgiagambler but this year started off reckless for me and I lost too much money than I cared to remember by March so I stopped keeping track, lol. So now I have no idea how much money I've lost so far this year and honestly, I really don't want to know...I know it's bad. I'm hoping to win a big, fat HP sometime soon to make up for all my losses.

I don't keep a spreadsheet or anything for that matter.. I don't really see the point.. I've won over 150,000 in W-2's the last three years in a row and just use all my win loss statements to do my end of the year taxes.. Never an issue.. Gambling is suppose to be fun not a job or work.. Just my opinion of course..

"all fun and games till somebody got...................AUDITED".......The only reason I do a log. MI is not afraid to pull audits. In fact they gave me a rashon of shit over $10 one yr.

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Originally Posted by SlotMommy

For the past several years I've done the same excel spreadsheet as Georgiagambler but this year started off reckless for me and I lost too much money than I cared to remember by March so I stopped keeping track, lol. So now I have no idea how much money I've lost so far this year and honestly, I really don't want to know...I know it's bad. I'm hoping to win a big, fat HP sometime soon to make up for all my losses.

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After my trip to Vegas, I am in the positive for the first time ever. I should probably quit - right? HHH

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Originally Posted by Georgiagambler

After my trip to Vegas, I am in the positive for the first time ever. I should probably quit - right? HHH

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That's awesome! That's too hard to do!

When I won my biggest HP ever ($5,400), it was the first time EVER in the almost 20 years I've been gambling that I came out ahead for the year. It was only by a few hundred but damn it felt good. Haven't come close to breaking even or coming out ahead since. The life of a gambler...HHH!

Yes. Tedious, but necessary for tax backup. I don't go overboard with detail -- just keep a daily log of how much total I won/lost at each property. I enter this info in the notes section of each trip's calendar event on my iPhone, so I can do it on the spot and all the trip details are in one place.

For properties where I care about keeping track of status, but that don't have a coherent way to check updates online (looking at you, Cosmopolitan), I also take a photo of my beginning and ending point balances each day on the first and last machine I play. Then tally up total trip win/loss, total points (base and multiplier), and coin-in after the trip is over.