Online poker is illegal in Canada really ? Will they ever pursue someone playing online poker or ?
By the way a "professionnal" gambler HAS to pay taxes but the grey part is how they define a "professional" gambler.
Gambling Profits
10. Profits derived from bookmaking or from the operation of any gambling establishment (carried on legally or otherwise) constitute income from a business. In addition, an individual may be subject to tax on income derived from gambling itself, if the gambling activities constitute carrying on the business of gambling; see the decision of MNR v. Morden, (1961) CTC 484, 61 DTC 1266 (Ex. Ct.). The issue of whether or not an individual's activities are such that he or she can be considered to be carrying on a gambling business is a question of fact that can be determined only by an examination of all of the circumstances and the taxpayer's entire course of conduct. Although no one factor may be conclusive, the following criteria should be considered in making the determination:
(a) the degree of organization that is present in the pursuit of this activity by the taxpayer,
(b) the existence of special knowledge or inside information that enables the taxpayer to reduce the element of chance,
(c) the taxpayer's intention to gamble for pleasure as compared with any intention to gamble for profit as a means of gaining a livelihood, and
(d) the extent of the taxpayer's gambling activities, including the number and frequency of bets.
It is clear from various decisions of the courts that earnings from illegal operations or illicit businesses, such as illegal gambling and fraudulent business schemes, are not exempt from tax. (See for example, the decisions in The Queen v. Poynton, (1972) CTC 411, 72 DTC 6329 (Ont. C.A.) and MNR v. Eldridge, (1964) CTC 545, 64 DTC 5338 (Ex. Ct.).) Hobbies
There was a great thread not long ago
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...rt=all&vc=1
I haven't consulted any accountants but I called 2 times the CRA and talked to 2 differents person over there and they said it's considered as a windfall...