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The Indiana Gaming Commission says collecting delinquent child support from paid fantasy sports winners will be difficult.
file photoThe Indiana Gaming Commission says collecting delinquent child support from paid fantasy sports winners will be difficult. A legislative study committee discussed the issue Tuesday Oct. 25.
Legislation this year to regulate paid fantasy sports included language that requires operators to “make a reasonable effort” to withhold delinquent child support from a player’s winnings.
The problem, says Indiana Gaming Commission attorney Greg Small, is that doing so isn’t as easy as in the casino world. Casinos can withhold payments before giving out winnings; Small says fantasy sports operators simply send a tax form at the end of the year if a player’s net winnings in their account are more than $600.
“The account can fluctuate through the course of the year,” says Small. “There can be withdrawals from that account. What was previously in the account in May may not be there in December.”
Lawmakers stress the importance of withholding delinquent child support and say they’re concerned about the difficulty in doing so. Small says operators are working with the state to explore ways of making the process work.
Operators are not required to begin withholding the delinquency payments until July 2017.
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