CRIPPLE CREEK - Colorado is the only state that collects gambling winnings from deadbeat parents. The law was enacted a year ago and the state has collected more than $600,000 so far.

Last year, $1 billion dollars were owed in child support in Colorado. State officials collected $320 million of that. Legislators say these numbers highlight how important this new law is for the state.

Kevin Werner is the general manger of the Wildwood Casino. He says his staff has not encountered problems with collecting money.

"If somebody wins $1,200 or more, they go into the database and see if they owe any kind of child support and if they do then that money goes into an account," Werner said, "and then we send that money to the state."

Casino managers admit that it's extra work, but they say it's work with a big payoff. For the most part, they say they haven't seen any parents cause trouble.

"The good news is they won some money," said Werner. "They're chipping away at it [child support] without reaching into their pocket, so it's really a good thing."

El Paso County Commissioner Sallie Clark says the program is just getting started, but that the money collected is one step closer to helping families become self-sufficient.

"It's a small portion, but it all adds up in the long term and we need to make sure that there is a personal responsibility for parents to take care of their kids," Clark said.

Most states collect child support from lottery winnings, not gambling. But now with Colorado's success, legislators from other states say they're interested in enacting similar laws.