A. In addition to any other penalty provided by law, any person who conducts, finances, manages, supervises, directs, sells, or owns a gambling device that is located in an unregulated location is subject to a civil penalty of up to $25,000 for each gambling device located in such unregulated location.

Have a question?
Click here to chat with a criminal defense lawyer and protect your rights.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 18.2-331.1

  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Locality: means a county, city, or town as the context may require. See Virginia Code 1-221
  • Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245

B. The Attorney General, an attorney for the Commonwealth, or the attorney for any locality may cause an action in equity to be brought in the name of the Commonwealth or of the locality, as applicable, to immediately enjoin the operation of a gambling device in violation of this section and to request an attachment against all such devices and any moneys within such devices pursuant to Chapter 20 of Title 8.01, and to recover the civil penalty of up to $25,000 per device.

C. In any action brought under this section, the Attorney General, the attorney for the Commonwealth, or the attorney for the locality may recover reasonable expenses incurred by the state or local agency in investigating and preparing the case, and attorney fees.

D. Any civil penalties assessed under this section in an action in equity brought in the name of the Commonwealth shall be paid into the Literary Fund. Any civil penalties assessed under this section in an action in equity brought in the name of a locality shall be paid into the general fund of the locality.

2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 329, 546; 2022, c. 553.