A measure in Mississippi to seize gambling earnings from deadbeat parents could soon become law as Gov. Tate Reeves will have the option to sign it.
After failed attempts in recent years to pass legislation allowing the interception of casino winnings from parents who owe child support, Senate Bill 2369 was approved by the House with a bipartisan 96-22 vote on Tuesday. The House had passed their own bill on the matter earlier in the session, but went with the Senate’s as a vehicle to Reeves’ desk.
The bill would require the Mississippi Gaming Commission and the Mississippi Department of Human Services to establish a framework for collecting wages from those who owe child support and win $2,000 or more at slot machines or sportsbooks. Card and table games, like poker and craps, are excluded from being intercepted.
The Department of Human Services would be tasked with creating a database showing who owes child support and working with casinos to exchange information. While some concerns have been voiced this session over widespread access to personal information, lawmakers assured that only information related to people who owe child support will be shared.
The legislature’s stamp of approval comes as 30% of parents owed child support nationally are not being compensated, with under 50% being paid the total amount they are entitled to receive. Those numbers are from the U.S. Census Bureau.
If signed into law by Reeves, the measure will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027, allowing the Gaming Commission and Department of Human Services time to get the system in place.