Table Games Offer New Source of Child Support

The emergence of table games at West Virginia racetracks present a new avenue for pursuing past-due child support, The Associated Press reports.

Along with Colorado, the state is "moving ahead with plans to garnish the winnings of casino gamblers who owe child support," the AP article said. "West Virginia's Department of Health and Human Resources is working on a plan that could be in place within 90 days, while Colorado is rolling out its system July 1."

The casino industry opposes the plan, with one lobbyist telling AP "there's no system in place that would compute winning and losing.''

"While many states check big winners of traditional lottery games against lists of people who owe child support, the National Conference of State Legislatures believes Colorado and West Virginia would be first to go after casino winnings," the article notes. "Mississippi and New Mexico have statutes allowing casino payouts to be intercepted for child support debts, but neither is doing so."