W. Va. Code § 29-22C-29 — WV Code / Chapter 29 / Article 22C / Section 29
§29-22C-29. Offenses and penalties.
Status: in_force

(a) A racetrack table games licensee is guilty of unlawful operation when:

(1) The licensee operates a West Virginia Lottery table game without authority of the commission to do so;

(2) The licensee operates a West Virginia Lottery table game in any location that is not a designated gaming area approved by the commission;

(3) The licensee knowingly conducts, carries on, operates or exposes for play or allows to be conducted, carried on, operated or exposed for play any table game or other device, equipment or material that has in any manner been tampered with or placed in a condition or operated in a manner, the result of which is designed to deceive the public;

(4) The licensee employs an individual in a position or to perform duties, for which a license is required by this article or rules of the commission and the employee does not have a license issued under the provisions of this article or the licensee continues to employ the individual in a position or to perform duties, for which a license is required by this article or rules of the commission, after the employee's license expired, was revoked by the commission or not renewed by the commission;

(5) The licensee acts or employs another person to act as if he or she is not an agent or employee of the licensee in order to encourage participation in a West Virginia Lottery table game at the licensed racetrack;

(6) The licensee knowingly permits an individual under the age of twenty-one years of age to enter or remain in a designated gaming area or to play racetrack video lottery terminals or West Virginia Lottery table games at a licensed racetrack authorized under this article to act as the commission's agent in operating the West Virginia Lottery table games; or

(7) The licensee exchanges tokens, chips, electronic media or other forms of credit to be used for wagering at a licensed racetrack authorized under this article to operate West Virginia Lottery table games, for anything of value except in exchange for money or credits to a player's account.

(b) A person is guilty of a misdemeanor when:

(1) The person knowingly makes a false statement on any application for a license under this article or on an application for renewal of a license issued under this article;

(2) The person operates, carries on or exposes for play a West Virginia Lottery table game prior to obtaining a license or after the person's license has expired and prior to actual renewal of the license or before the West Virginia Lottery table game and the licensee's rules for play of the game are approved or modified and approved by the commission; or

(3) The person works or is employed in a position requiring a license under the provisions of this article without having the license required by this article.

(c) A person is guilty of a felony when:

(1) The person offers, promises or gives anything of value or benefit to a person who has an ownership or financial interest in, is employed by or has a service contract with, a racetrack with West Virginia Lottery table games or to that person's spouse or any dependent child or dependent parent, pursuant to an agreement or arrangement, in fact or implied from the circumstances, with intent that the promise or thing of value or benefit will influence the actions of the person in order to affect or attempt to affect the outcome of a West Virginia Lottery table game, or to influence official action of the commission. For the purposes of this subdivision and subdivision (2) of this subsection, the term "person who is connected with a table games facility" includes, but is not limited to, a person licensed under this article as well as an officer or employee of a licensee;

(2) The person solicits or knowingly accepts or receives a promise of anything of value or benefit while the person is connected with a racetrack with West Virginia Lottery table games, pursuant to an understanding or arrangement in fact or implied from the circumstances, with the intent that the promise or thing of value or benefit will influence the actions of the person to affect or attempt to affect the outcome of a West Virginia Lottery table game or to influence official action of the commission; or

(3) The person uses or possesses on property owned by the licensed racetrack or on property contiguous to the licensed racetrack, with the intent to use, an electronic, electrical or mechanical device that is designed, constructed or programmed to assist the user or another person:

(A) In projecting the outcome of a West Virginia Lottery table game;

(B) In keeping track of the cards dealt or in play;

(C) In analyzing the probability of the occurrence of an event relating to a West Virginia Lottery table game;

(D) In analyzing the strategy for playing or betting to be used in a West Virginia Lottery table game, except as permitted in writing by the commission; or

(E) In obtaining an advantage at playing any West Virginia Lottery table game at a licensed racetrack authorized under this article to operate West Virginia Lottery table games;

(4) The person manufactures, sells or distributes any card, chip, die, game or device, by whatever name called, that is intended by that person to be used to violate any provision of this article or the table gaming laws of any other state;

(5) The person places a bet after unlawfully acquiring knowledge of the outcome of the West Virginia Lottery table game that is the subject of the bet or aids a person in acquiring that knowledge for the purpose of placing a bet contingent on the outcome of a West Virginia Lottery table game authorized under this article;

(6) The person claims, collects, takes or attempts to claim, collect or take anything of value into or from a racetrack with West Virginia Lottery table games, with intent to defraud, without having made a wager contingent on winning a West Virginia Lottery table game or knowingly claims, collects or takes an amount of money or thing of value of greater value than the amount won;

(7) The person knowingly uses chips, electronic media or tokens that are counterfeit to place a wager at a racetrack with West Virginia Lottery table games;

(8) The person knowingly uses any medium to place a wager at a racetrack licensed under this article other than tokens, chips, electronic cards or other electronic media, or other method of credit approved by the commission and issued by the racetrack licensed under this article at which the wager is placed on a West Virginia Lottery table game;

(9) The person, not a licensed racetrack under this article or an employee or agent of a racetrack licensed under this article acting in furtherance of the licensee's interest, has in his or her possession on grounds owned by the racetrack licensed under this article or on grounds contiguous to the licensed racetrack, any device, by whatever name called, intended to be used to violate a provision of this article or a rule of the commission implementing or explaining a provision of this article; or

(10) The person, not a licensee or employee or agent of a licensee acting in furtherance of the racetrack table games licensee's interests, has in his or her possession any key or device designed for the purpose of opening, entering or affecting the operation of a West Virginia Lottery table game, drop box or an electronic or mechanical device connected with or used in connection with a West Virginia Lottery table game in a licensed racetrack or for removing bills, tokens, chips or other contents therefrom.

(d) Any person who violates any provision of subsection (a) or (b) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $1,000 and committed to a state correctional facility for not more than six months, except that in the case of a person other than a natural person, the amount of the fine imposed may not be more than $25,000.

(e) Any person who violates any provision of subsection (c) of this section is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $5,000 nor more than $10,000 and committed to a state correctional facility for a term of imprisonment not less than one year nor more than five years.

(f) With regard to subdivision (3), subsection (c) of this section, each racetrack table games licensee shall post notice of this prohibition and the penalties of this section in a manner determined by the commission.