No April's Fools joke---it's that time again.
These are two articles that discuss many of the topics we've thrown
around on this forum.
Here's a timely piece from the second link.
9. The IRS doesn't believe there's such a thing as a professional
gambler. It's part of their mindset. Even though the US Supreme Court
held that you can be a professional gambler in Commissioner v.
Groetzinger (480 U.S. 23 (1987)), most of the personnel in the IRS
still hold this view. It will take many years before this changes.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't file as a professional; rather, you
should be aware that filing as a professional increases your chance of
audit.