Arkansas Lottery recoups $1M in unpaid taxes, child support

Sep 3, 2014, 8:37 am (8 comments)

Arkansas Lottery

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — In its five years of operation, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has raised nearly a half-billion dollars in scholarships to help 135,000 Arkansas students attend in-state public and private colleges and universities.  But thanks to an often-forgotten provision of the Arkansas Code, the Lottery has also benefited state operations by recouping nearly $1 million in unpaid taxes and child support payments.

The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Act of 2009 requires the Lottery to "cooperate in identifying debtors who owe money to the state", specifically prize winners with unpaid state taxes or child support payments.

Since awarding its first prize on September 28, 2009, up to July 31, 2014, the Lottery has collected $688,243.84 in unpaid taxes, subsequently transferred to the Department of Finance and Administration.  In the same period, $296,382.22  was collected and transferred to the Office of Child Support Enforcement.

Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Director Bishop Woosley expects the Lottery will easily surpass $1 million in total recouped funds by 2015.

"We're delighted to play even a small part in recovering these funds," Woosley said Tuesday.  "The General Assembly recognized that prize payments offered an opportunity to settle debts that ultimately burden the taxpayers of Arkansas and custodial parents who depend on their child support.  We like being part of the solution."

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

Brothers cannot afford to be careless in this  age of DNA  technology. 15 minutes could cost you 15 years or more on CS payments

falcons799's avatarfalcons799

a real man don't need someone else to tell him to take care of his kids....

RedStang's avatarRedStang

They should of kept this quiet. Winners will start selling their tickets or have trusted family members cash them in when they hear what the LO is doing.

HaveABall's avatarHaveABall

I Agree!, RedStang, I don't think this information should be mass publicized more than twice per year.  It should be on each lottery's website FYI webpage though.

Additionally, for wins minimum $500 FIRST remove Federal, State, and County Income Taxes from the Gross. NEXT remove: (1) Our Federal, State, and County Treasurer [past due w/interest income taxes, property taxes, and water/sewer/trash bills]; (2) Each County/State alimony and child support agencies [past due w/interest judgment amounts].  In this computer age, all of the above government offices/agencies should, each month, be downloading their debtors to a "NATIONAL" master database easily and mandatory accessed by all lottery headquarters.  Each lottery headquarters office and staff should be heavily guarded/protected for those times when the lottery "winner" is volatile/upset that they are handed a small check or no check in the case of government tracked debt deduction(s).  Not that it would matter, but this "pre-deductions" would be quite convenient and reduce embarrassment to someone who owes a government/municipal office.

Hum Type...

dr65's avatardr65

Enough deadbeats are playing the lottery but not winning enough to be tagged for back CS, taxes, etc. The state making

their actions public won't deter a lot from continuing to play and still avoid making the payments they owe. The dolts probably

just figure they'll take care of it when they win enough. There are plenty of people willing to take a payoff to cash a ticket

in their name and help the losers keep a low profile. If the state is happy to recoup some of what they're after, then okay

but there has got to be a better way to get a lot of what they're after. Continue on with scrutinizing winners but there aren't

enough substantial winners out there who both owe back payments and hit a jackpot that puts them on the radar.

faber98

Quote: Originally posted by RedStang on Sep 3, 2014

They should of kept this quiet. Winners will start selling their tickets or have trusted family members cash them in when they hear what the LO is doing.

another misstep by the incompetent bishop woosley to publicize this. always trying to cast himself as a do-gooder hands on lottery director. instead he will never see another dime of deadbeat lottery cash since they "will" pay the 10% to have someone else cash their tickets. he should go back to guarding the clintons, maybe guarding chelsea's new baby for 18 years will give him something worthwhile to do. wake up arkansas and get this clown out of the state.

Drenick1's avatarDrenick1

Quote: Originally posted by RedStang on Sep 3, 2014

They should of kept this quiet. Winners will start selling their tickets or have trusted family members cash them in when they hear what the LO is doing.

I Agree! The state did nothing but hurt themselves in attempting to attach future lottery winnings.

sully16's avatarsully16

Makes me sad to think so many play lottery before feeding their kids.

End of comments
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