So quick info, single and I rent, I won money in Vegas last year and they didn’t take taxes out, can I offset the winnings with scratch off loser tickets?

Yes. Lottery and scratch off ticket losses are gambling losses.

However, gambling losses do not reduce your gambling winnings dollar for dollar. Gambling winnings are added to your taxable income while gambling losses (limited to the amount of your gambling winnings) can only be claimed as an itemized deduction on Schedule A.

If the total of your itemized deductions including the gambling losses do not exceed your standard deduction (or will only increase your itemized deductions by an amount less than the losses themselves), then you do not have the full benefit of the losses on your tax.

For tax year 2022, standard deductions are:

• $25,900 for married couples whose filing status is “married filing jointly” and surviving spouses;
• $12,950 for singles and married couples whose filing status is “married filing separately”; and
• $19,400 for taxpayers whose filing status is “head of household.”

The additional standard deduction for a blind taxpayer—i.e. a taxpayer whose vision is less than 20/200— and for a taxpayer who is age 65 or older at the end of the year is for each instance:

• $1,400 for married individuals; and
• $1,750 for singles and heads of household.

For more information, please read this TurboTax article.