Question about taxes.

[FABismonte]

I have heard that Table Game big wins don't count as Handpay Jackpots/don't generate W2G's. Is this correct? For example, someone said he won $5,000 on a Roulette Game and didn't get a Jackpot/Handpay/W2G. He got a free game in a slot machine later that night and he won $1200 from it and got the JHW. He was like,"Weird how I won much more money on the Roulette Game and didn't get a JHW, but on the slot machine, I got less and got the JHW."

I am not a tax professional but I recall looking at this a few years ago and it appears that no W-2 is issued at a table game unless (1) you have won at least $600 and (2) were paid at least 300 times your original bet. See https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/iw2g--2019.pdf

The bottom right of the first page is a decent summary of when a W-2 G must be issued.

Section one later in the document refers to when the casino (aka the "payor") must issue a W-2 G for "other wagering" not otherwise mentioned. This appears to apply to table games.

By contrast under section 3 of this IRS reg slot machines cause a W-2 G to be issued in a slot machine if $1,200 is paid and $1,500 for keno machines. (No offset by the amount of your initial wager)

So it looks like no W-2 for table games unless there is some kind of carnival side bet like a six point Fire bet in craps. I am unaware of any such side bet in roulette.