SECOND DI VI SI ON DOYLE, C. J.

, M I LLER, P. J, and REESE, J.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

M ay 18, 2017



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 7 A0 06 7 . PATEL et

al . v . STATE OF GEORGIA. DO-0 0 3

D O Y LE , Ch ief J ud g e.

Th e St at e o f G eo rg ia fi l ed a co m p l ai n t fo r fo rfei t u re i n rem ag ai n st t h e o wn ers

o f a Ci t g o g as st at io n b as ed o n al l eg ed i l l eg al co m m erci al g am

b l i ng o n t h e p rem i s es

u s i n g v i d eo g am i n g m ach i n es

. Th e t ri al co u rt gran t ed t h e re l i e f s o u g h t

, an d

Tejas k u m ar Sat i s h Pat el an d Dh arm as u t

, LLC (“ t h e d efen d an t s ”), th e o wn ers o f t h e

s t at i o n , ap peal . Fo r t h e reas o ns t h at fo l l o w , we affi rm

.

“ We b eg i n b y n o t i ng t h at t h e i n t erp ret at i o n o f a s t at ut e i s a q u es ti o n o f l aw ,

wh i ch we rev i ew d e n o v o o n ap p eal

. M o reo v er, b ecau s e t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s ru l i n g o n al eg al q u es t i o n i s n o t d u e an y d eferen ce, we ap p l y

t h e ‘ pl ai n l eg al erro r’ s t an d ard o f

rev i ew.” 1

Th e ev i d en ce i n t h i s cas e i s u n d is p u t ed

. In 2 0 1 5

, t h e Hal l Co u n ty Sh eri ff’ s

Dep art m en t was i nfo rm ed t hat em p l o y ees at t h e g as s t at i o n were p ay in g o u t cas h to

wi n ners u s i n g th e st o re’ s co i n-o p erat ed am u s em en t m ach i n e s

. On M ay 2 5

, 2 0 1 5

, a

co n fi d en t i al i n fo rm an t p laced $ 4 0 i n a m ach i n e an d red eem ed t he accu m u lat ed $ 2 0

cred i t w i t h a s t o re em

pl o y ee i n ex ch an g e fo r t wo s crat ch -o ff l o t t ery t ick et s

. 2 On J u n e

1

, 2 01 5

, t h e in fo rm an t ret u rn ed t o t h e g as s t at i o n , ag ai n p l aced $ 4 0 i n a m ach i n e, an d

o b t ai n ed a c r e d it o f $ 6 0

. In ex ch an g e fo r t he cred i t

, a s t o re em p lo y ee g av e t h e

i n fo rm an t a $ 1 0 s crat ch -o ff l o t t ery t i ck et an d $4 0 i n cas h

, an d s h e p u t $1 0 i n h er o wn

p o ck et

.

On J u n e 4

, 2 0 1 5

, p o l i ce ex ecu ted a s earch warran t fo r t he g as s t at i o n an d s ei zed

$ 1 2 ,0 2 7 .5 0 in cas h fro m v i d eo g am i n g m a ch i nes , th e reg i s t ers , a cas h b ag , a s afe,

d rawers , b o x es , Pat el ’ s wal l et

, an d an ATM m ach i n e. Th e St at e t h en fi l ed a co m p l ai nt

fo r fo rfei t u re i n rem pu rs u an t t o OCGA § 1 6-1 2 -3 2

. F o l l o w i n g a h e a r i n g , t h e

1 (Ci tat i o n s an d pu n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed .) S t a te v. Ho wel l

, 2 8 8 G a. Ap p

. 1 7 6 (6 5 3

SE2 d 3 3 0) (2 0 0 7).

2 Th e ev en t s were reco rd ed o n v i d eo s u rv ei ll an ce eq u i p m en t

.

2t ri al co u rt ap pro v ed th e fo rfei tu r e , c o n c l u d i n g t h at b y p ay i n g o u t cas h an d l o tt ery

t i ck et s as wi n n i n g s fo r cu s t om ers u s i n g t h e am u s em en t m ach i n es , t h e ap p el l an t s

co n vert ed t h e m ach in es t o “ g am b l ing de v i ces ”; t h e gas st at i on q u al i fi ed as a g am b l i n g

p l ace; an d t h e cu rren cy

was “ u sed i n , i n t en d ed fo r u s e i n , u s ed t o faci l i t at e, d eri v ed

fro m , o r real i zed t h ro u g h ” g am b l i n g act i v i t y . Th i s ap peal fo ll owed

.

Th e d efen d an t s c o n t en d t h at t h e t ri al co u rt erred b y g ran t in g t he fo rfei t u re

b ecau s e th e v id eo g am i n g m ach i n es at i s s u e were n ot “ g am b l i n g d ev i ces ” u n d er

Geo rg i a l aw. W e d i s ag ree.

OCGA § 1 6 -1 2 -2 0 (a) (2 ) (2 0 1 5 ) d efi nes “ a gam b l i n g d ev i ce” as “ [a] ny

co n tri v an ce wh i ch fo r a co n s i d e rat io n affo rd s t h e p l ay er an o p po rt u ni t y t o o b t ai n

m o ney o r ot h er t h i n g of v al u e, t h e award o f wh i ch i s det erm i n ed b y ch an ce ev en

t h o u g h acco m

p an ied b y s o m e s k i l l

, wh et h er o r n o t t h e p ri ze i s au t o m at i cal l y p ai d by

co n tri v an ce.” 3 Becau s e th e g am i n g m ach i nes in t h is ca se offer p l ay ers t h e o p p o rt u n i t y

3 OCGA § 1 6 -1 2-3 5 (a) d efi n es t he t erm “ s o m e s ki l l” as “ an y p res en ce o f t h e fo l l o w i n g fact o rs , al o n e or in co m b i n at i o n wi t h o ne an o t h er: (1 ) A l earn ed p o wer o f

d o i n g a t h i n g co m

p et en t l y ; (2 ) A p art i cu l ar craft

, art

, ab i l i t y , s t rat eg y , o r t act i c; (3 )

A d ev el o p ed or acq u i red ap t i t u d e o r ab i l i t y ; (4 ) A co o rd i n at ed s et o f act i o n s , i n cl u d i n g , b u t n o t l i m i ted t o , e ye-h an d co ord i n at i o n; (5 ) Dex t eri t y , fl uen cy , o r

c o o r d i n at i on i n t he ex ecu ti o n o f l earn ed p h y s ical o r m en t al t as ks o r b o t h ; ( 6 )

Tech n i cal p ro fi ci en cy

o r ex p ert i s e; (7 ) Dev el o p m en t o r i m p l em en t at io n o f s t rat eg y

o r t act i cs i n o rd er t o ach i ev e a g o al ; o r (8 ) Kn o wl ed g e o f t h e m ean s o r m et h o d s o f

acco m pl i s h i n g a tas k. Th e t e r m s o m e s k i ll refers t o a p art i cu l ar craft

, co ord i n at ed

3t o o b t ai n v al ue, an d t h e award t h ey recei v e i s d et erm i n ed b y ch an ce ev en t h o u g h t h ey

d o i n v o l v e an el em en t o f s k i l l

, t h ey q u al ify as g am b l i ng d ev i ces un d er OCGA § 1 6

-

1 2 -3 5. 4 O CGA § 1 6 -1 2 -3 5 ( d ) ( 1 ) (2 0 1 5 ), h o wev er, p ro v i d es an ex cep ti on , s t at i n g

t h at Geo rg i a’ s g am

b l i n g s tat u t es d o n o t ap p l y t o

a co in o p erat ed g am e o r d ev i ce d es i g ned a n d m an u fact u red o n l y fo r

b o n a fi d e am u s em en t p u rp o s es wh i ch i n v o l v es s o m e s k i l l in i t s

o p erat i o n i f i t reward s th e pl ay er ex cl u s i vel y w i t h : (A) [f] ree rep l ay s ; (B) [ m ] erch an d is e l i m i t ed t o n o n cas h m erch an d is e, p ri zes , t o y s , g i ft

cert i fi c at es , or n o v el t ies

, each o f wh i ch h as a wh ol es al e v al u e o f n o t

m o re t h an $ 5 .0 0 recei ved fo r a s i n g l e p l ay o f t h e gam e o r d ev ice; (C)

[p ] o i n t s , t o ken s , v o u ch ers , t i ck et s, or o t h er ev i den ce of wi n n i n g s wh ich

m ay b e ex ch an g ed fo r reward s set o ut i n su b parag rap h (A) o f t h i s

p arag rap h o r s u bp arag rap h (B) o f t h i s p arag rap h o r a co m b in at i o n o f

reward s s et ou t i n su b parag rap h (A) an d s u b p arag rap h (B) of t h i s

p arag rap h ; or (D) An y co m b i n at i o n o f reward s set ou t in t wo o r m ore o f

s u b p arag rap h (A), (B), o r (C) o f t h is p arag rap h

.

effo rt

, art

, ab i l it y , s trat eg y , o r t act i c em p l o y ed by t h e pl ay er t o affect i n s o m e way t h e

o u t co m e o f t h e gam e p l ay ed o n a b o n a f i d e co i n o p erat ed am

u s em en t m ach i n e as d efi n ed i n p arag rap h (2 ) o f Co d e Sect i o n 5 0 -2 7 -7 0. If a pl ay er can t ak e n o act i o n to
affect t h e o u t co m e o f t h e g am e, t h e bo n a fi d e co in op erat ed am u s em en t m ach i n e d o es

n o t m eet t h e ‘ s o m e s k i l l ’ req u i rem en t o f t h i s Co d e s ect i o n .”

4 A t t h e h eari n g, th e d efen d an t s i n t ro du ced ex h i bi t s i nd i cat i n g t h at i n M a rch

an d J u l y , res p ect i v el y , t h e Geo rg i a Lo t t ery Co rp o rat i o n (“ t he G LC”) an d a co m p an y

em pl o y ed b y th e GLC, i n s p ect ed t h e g am i n g m ach i n es i n t he Ci t g o an d co n cl u d ed

t h at t h ey were co m

p l i an t wi t h Geo rg i a l aw an d t h e GLC reg u l at i o n s

.

4Here, t h e m ach i n es t h em sel v es d o n ot p ro d uce cas h or l o t t ery t ick et s t o p l ay ers

as reward s t o p l ay ers

. Th e t ri al co u rt co n cl u d ed

, h o wev er, t h at b y g i v i n g p l ay ers cas h

an d l o tt ery t i ck et s as reward s fo r w i n n i n g g am es o n t h e m a c h i n es , t h e g as s t at i o n

em pl o y ees effect iv el y co n v ert ed t h em i n t o g am b li n g d ev i ces

. OCGA § 1 6 -1 2 -3 2 (b )

(4 ) (2 0 1 5 ) p erm it s th e St at e t o s ei ze v i a fo rfei t u re “ [a] ny p ro p ert y l o cat ed i n t h i s s t at e

wh i ch was , d i rect ly o r i n d irect l y , u s ed or i n t en d ed fo r u se i n an y m an n er t o faci l i t at e

a v i o l at i on o f t hi s art i cl e o r o f t h e l aws o f t h e Un it ed St at es rel at i ng t o g am b l i n g an d

an y p ro ceed s .” Th u s , p ret erm i t t i n g wh et h er t h e cas h p ay o u t s fro m t h e em p l o y ees

co n vert ed th e m ach i n es in t o “ g am b l i n g d ev i ces ” as d efi n ed b y s t at u t e, t h es e act i on s

cl earl y v i o l at ed t h e g a m b l i n g l aws o f Geo rg i a, wh i ch p ro h i b i t cas h p ay o u t s fo r

wi n ni n g g am es o n m ach i n es wh en t h e wi n n i n g s are d et erm i n ed b y ch an ce ev en i f

t h ey i nv o l v e an el em en t o f s k i l l

. 5 A cco rd i n gl y , t h e t ri al co urt d i d n o t err b y fi n d i n g

i n fav o r o f t h e St at e an d ap p ro v i n g t h e fo rfei tu re.

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . Mi l l er

, P. J., a n d

Rees e, J., co n cu r

.

5 See, e.g ., Pa t el v. S t at e , 2 8 9 Ga. 4 7 9

, 48 5 (3 ) (7 1 3 SE2 d 3 8 1 ) (2 0 11 ) (“ [E] v en

p ro p ert y th at i s l awfu l t o p o ss es s an d op erat e can b e u sed t o vi o l at e t he l aw, an d t hu s

wo u l d b e s u bject t o fo rfei t u re u n d er t h e RICO s t at u t e i f i t i s u s ed i n rack et eeri n g

act i vi t y .”).

5