News Article | June 21, 2024
County Finances
LegalEase
Legal Guidance
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"We busted an illegal gambling room and seized several eight-liner slot machines. What do we do with this equipment? Seems like a huge waste to just destroy it." |
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How may a county dispose of seized gambling equipment?
It depends on the court’s order of forfeiture. Texas Attorney General Opinion No. GA-0533 (2007) determined if the order of forfeiture declares the county as the owner of the equipment, it could qualify as salvage under Chapter 263 of the Local Government Code. The Attorney General also concluded the county could require bidders to contractually agree to take the equipment to a jurisdiction where its use is legal. For more information, see our publication Bingo, Raffles, Gaming Rooms and Other Gambling Issues Under Texas Law.