Ohio gambling child support intercepts have exceeded $10 million

Many people dream of winning the Ohio lottery, at the racetracks or hitting it big at the casinos. If you owe back child support, then it may not be as exciting for you as it would be for others though.

State officials first started intercepting winnings for those owing child support back in 2007. They integrated their system with the Ohio Lottery’s real-time database in 2014. Government officials have since gone on to intercept 6,300 payouts totaling more than $10 million.

It’s at the state’s hybrid racetracks and casinos, known as racinos, where the largest intercepts of winnings have occurred. According to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), there has been nearly $4.8 million intercepted at these facilities alone.

ODJFS data shows that just over $1.3 million has been intercepted at the Jack Casino in Cleveland. State officials note that the casino that they’ve collected the second largest amount of money from is the Hollywood Casino here in Columbus. Just shy of $1.2 million has been intercepted there.

State lawmakers have authorized the ODJFS to intercept any deadbeat parents’ gambling winnings over a certain amount. Slot machine payouts must exceed $1,200 and lottery ones $600 for them to be intercepted. It takes as long as two weeks for individuals’ winnings to be deposited into their accounts. This gives authorities ample time to check their database of deadbeat parents and intercept their winnings.

The Ohio counties with the largest single payment intercepts since this program first began are Columbiana County with $28,571, Cuyahoga County with $50,071 and Hamilton County with $52,380.

In Ohio, ODJFS officials collect nearly 70% of child support owed, nearly 4 percent higher than their counterparts on average in other states.

For most Americans, their pay hasn’t kept up with the increases in their cost of living in recent years. This has made it even more difficult for a single parent to provide for their family’s needs on their income alone. If your ex has stopped supporting your Westerville family as ordered by the court, then an attorney can advise you of ways to hold them accountable.