Section 50-27-82. Criminal violations; investigations; seizure and confiscation of machines; repossession; sealing of machines

   (a) If any owner or operator of any bona fide coin operated amusement machine in this state shall violate any provision of this article or any rule and regulation promulgated under this article, the corporation may investigate the violation and may seek sanctions, including late fees of $50.00 for failure to pay timely permit sticker fees, $125.00 for failure to pay timely the master license fee, suspension or revocation of a license, seizure of equipment, interest penalty, and debarment for repeat offenders.

(b) No person other than an owner shall intentionally remove a current permit sticker from a bona fide coin operated amusement machine or from the location where the machine is located. Any person who violates this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(c) A person who owns or operates bona fide coin operated amusement machines without a current master license or without a permit sticker on display shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(d) A person who knowingly makes a material false statement on any application or renewal application for a master license or permit sticker under this article by fraud, misrepresentation, or subterfuge or makes a material false entry on any book, record, or report which is compiled, maintained, or submitted to the corporation pursuant to the provisions of this article is guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years, a fine not to exceed $25,000.00, or both.

(e) Any bona fide coin operated amusement machine not having the required master license or permit stickers may be seized and confiscated by the corporation's agents or employees and sold at public auction after 30 days' advertisement. Upon payment of the license required, the corporation may return any property so seized and confiscated and compromise any fee or penalty assessed. The owner from whom the bona fide coin operated amusement machine is seized may, at any time within ten days after the seizure, repossess the property by filing with the corporation a bond, in cash or executed by a surety company authorized to do business in this state, in double amount of the tax and penalties due. Within 30 days after the bond has been filed, the owner must bring an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to have the seizure set aside; otherwise, the bond so filed shall be declared forfeited to the corporation.

(f) The chief executive officer or an authorized representative thereof may seal in a manner that will prevent its full operation any such bona fide coin operated amusement machine that is in commercial use available to the public for play whose master license or sticker under this article has been suspended or revoked, upon which the fee has not been paid, or that is not registered with the corporation under this article. Whoever shall break the seal affixed by the chief executive officer or an authorized representative thereof without the chief executive officer's approval or whoever shall provide in commercial use available to the public for play any such bona fide coin operated amusement machine after the seal has been broken without the chief executive officer's approval or whoever shall remove any bona fide coin operated amusement machine from its location after the same has been sealed by the chief executive officer shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. The corporation shall charge a fee of $75.00 for the release of any bona fide coin operated amusement machine which is sealed. The fee shall be paid to the corporation.

Code 1981, § 48-17-13, enacted by Ga. L. 1992, p. 1521, § 3; Code 1981, § 50-27-82, as redesignated by Ga. L. 2013, p. 37, § 1-1/HB 487.