I’ve been doing group slot pulls for most of my channel’s history. From the beginning, there have been those who watch them and challenge me because they think I’m earning benefits from putting them together. Others simply wonder about the ins and outs.
Here’s a question that’s a great example of one of those aspects:
I understand that when Brian is in a group pulI he spins so that he is responsible for the taxes. So does that mean that Brian is able to claim any money lost on a group pull for his losses?
Wendy S.
Because my card is in the machine and the play is recorded, it would mean that it would be part of my records for tax purposes. This is pretty similar to the question I get about players points and whether I get credit for group pull play on my card, which would help with my offers. The answer too would be yes.
But one thing to keep in mind is these are not massive boosters for me given my level of play. Take a $200 group pull. Usually the group pull is maxed out at 30 participants, which means a total of $6,000 wagered through the machine once (of which $200 is contributed by me – I’m always one of the participants in a group pull).
But I’ve done more than $1 million in coin in at each of multiple casinos in 2025. Relative to my gambling history for the year, group pulls account for a fraction of a fraction of a percent of my overall coin-in. That coin-in and the wins and losses attached to it is what impacts both the players card earnings and the wins/losses on my taxes.
If we presume the slots have a 90 percent payback (which would likely be low given most group pulls are done on high limit and/or high denomination games), that’d be a theoretical loss of $600 on that same group pull amount. While it certainly adds to the total, it’s not a make or break difference when you consider that my losses run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
So hopefully this assures those that I’m somehow making out like a bandit running group pulls that that’s not the goal behind them in any way – it’s to create a fun experience where we can all play together. And don’t forget that key benefit that I can manage the tax liability if we win a jackpot handpay.
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I like the group pulls best. I find the ppl interesting.
Where they come from how group pulls they
attended. I find just watching the wheel go
round and round boring,🤨
We appreciate you watching, Jim! We definitely hear from viewers who enjoy the group pull format, and we enjoy doing them!