Ohio Has Declared No Child Support then No Jackpot

Many gamblers fail to support their minor children. In the State of Ohio, it has been declared that if you hit the jackpot and it's found that you have not paid child support, then the jackpot will not be handed over to you.

The Department of Job and Family Services in Ohio has been working with casinos and racinos to withhold money won on jackpots from winners who have not paid their child support. As a result of this initiative, $2 million in unpaid child support has already been collected all across the state.

This initiative began in April 2014 when Governor John Kasich introduced House Bill 483 in the state budget, which was signed into law by Mr. Kasich (R) two months later. Prior to the bill being passed, there were several controversial GOP amendments in this budget bill. This included measures that dealt with political contributions, the potential unionization of college sports teams, and absentee-ballot applications. Among the amendments was the child support provision.

How it works

The state of Ohio has provided a database of people who owe child support to the many casinos and racinos. So when someone wins a jackpot, the casino or racino will consult the database to check if the jackpot winner is on the list. On checking, if found that they are in arrears with their child support, then the amount in arrears will be withheld. If it is as much as the whole jackpot, then the full amount will be kept.

How do the casino or racinos measure a jackpot? According to the budget tabled, it is any prize that is large enough that it has to be reported to the IRS. Here are some examples:

• On the track: $600 or more
• On slot machines: $1,200 or more
• On poker tournaments: $5,000 or more

At the time this budget was passed, there were five casinos and four racinos active in Ohio, and authorities expected to collect more than $1 million annually. They have already doubled this figure.

You need to be aware

Ohio is one of the most active states with regard to child support. Family services say they have collected 69% of child support that was owed, which is well above the 64% national average. This past year, 68% was collected, which worked out to be $1.3 billion. The current goal this year is to reach 70%.

Once they had the budget passed, getting the program for intercept up and running proved to be very easy. Already casinos were using databases to allow access for them to withhold taxes and also be able to scan for red flags, which meant that the state already had the infrastructure to withhold funds from winnings. The state can also withhold money for back taxes not paid and student loans.

If you reside in Ohio and have any questions regarding child support, you can visit childsupport.ohio.gov or consult jfs.ohio.gov/county to look for the local child support agency.