Did you read the case I posted? Obviously the IRS sees it differently in that case. It is very similar to what bowlers do. Do you honestly think if someone claimed all their bowling expenses as a business to go lose it all at nationals, the IRS is gonna think that's an attempt to run a legitimate business. If they got audited, they are gonna want to see a business plan, and numerous other reasons to show that is an honest attempt to create a profitable business. If you audited someone, would you take that seriously? Oh, I invest thousands of dollars in bowling to go to ONE tournament to hopefully generate ALL my revenue. Its no different than people claiming to run "businesses" at a loss every year, and then just applying for a new license using a different business name when they don't meet the 3 out of 5 "rule". This is exactly how people cheat the system.