{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-338.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-338.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-338.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-338.html"}],"law_id":58992,"edition_id":1,"section_id":58992,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-338","catch_line":"Enforcement of \u00a7 18.2-331 by Governor and Attorney General","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-334; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15.","full_text":"If it shall come to the knowledge of the Governor that \u00a7 18.2-331 is not being enforced in any county, city or town, the Governor may call upon the Attorney General to direct its enforcement in such county, city or town, and thereupon the Attorney General may instruct the attorney for the Commonwealth, sheriff and chief of police, if any, of such county, or the attorney for the Commonwealth and chief of police of such city, or the attorney for the Commonwealth of the county in which such town is located and the chief of police or sergeant of such town, to take such steps as may be necessary to insure the enforcement of such section in such county, city or town, and if any such officers, after receiving such instructions, shall thereafter fail or refuse to exercise diligence in the enforcement of \u00a7 18.2-331, the Attorney General shall make report thereof in writing to the Governor and to the judge of the circuit court having jurisdiction over the acts thereby prohibited, and thereupon the Attorney General upon being directed so to do by the Governor, shall take such steps as he may deem proper in directing the institution and prosecution of criminal proceedings, to secure the enforcement of \u00a7 18.2-331.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":216288,"text":"If it shall come to the knowledge of the Governor that \u00a7 18.2-331 is not being enforced in any county, city or town, the Governor may call upon the Attorney General to direct its enforcement in such county, city or town, and thereupon the Attorney General may instruct the attorney for the Commonwealth, sheriff and chief of police, if any, of such county, or the attorney for the Commonwealth and chief of police of such city, or the attorney for the Commonwealth of the county in which such town is located and the chief of police or sergeant of such town, to take such steps as may be necessary to insure the enforcement of such section in such county, city or town, and if any such officers, after receiving such instructions, shall thereafter fail or refuse to exercise diligence in the enforcement of \u00a7 18.2-331, the Attorney General shall make report thereof in writing to the Governor and to the judge of the circuit court having jurisdiction over the acts thereby prohibited, and thereupon the Attorney General upon being directed so to do by the Governor, shall take such steps as he may deem proper in directing the institution and prosecution of criminal proceedings, to secure the enforcement of \u00a7 18.2-331.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14815,"edition_id":1,"name":"Gambling","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14022,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:50:07","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:50:07","permalink":{"id":167395,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14815,"identifier":"1","token":"18.2\/8\/1","url":"\/18.2\/8\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14022,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes Involving Morals and Decency","identifier":"8","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12972,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:37","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:37","permalink":{"id":167393,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14022,"identifier":"8","token":"18.2\/8","url":"\/18.2\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12972,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes and Offenses Generally","identifier":"18.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","permalink":{"id":164139,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12972,"identifier":"18.2","token":"18.2","url":"\/18.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":74036,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-325","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/18.2-325\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-325","metadata":false},{"id":59721,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-325.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-325.1\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-325.1","metadata":false},{"id":66964,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-326","catch_line":"Penalty for illegal gambling","url":"\/18.2-326\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-326","metadata":false},{"id":58713,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-327","catch_line":"Winning by fraud; penalty","url":"\/18.2-327\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-327","metadata":false},{"id":68030,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-328","catch_line":"Conducting illegal gambling operation; 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deemed \"consideration\" in prosecution under this article","url":"\/18.2-332\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-332","metadata":false},{"id":66159,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-333","catch_line":"Exceptions to article; certain sporting events","url":"\/18.2-333\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-333","metadata":false},{"id":71922,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-334","catch_line":"Exception to article; private residences","url":"\/18.2-334\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-334","metadata":false},{"id":82604,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-334.1","catch_line":"Defeated at referendum","url":"\/18.2-334.1\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-334.1","metadata":false},{"id":74691,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-334.2","catch_line":"Same; bingo games, raffles, duck races, and Texas Hold'em poker tournaments conducted by certain organizations","url":"\/18.2-334.2\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-334.2","metadata":false},{"id":56658,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-334.3","catch_line":"Exemptions to article","url":"\/18.2-334.3\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-334.3","metadata":false},{"id":83291,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-334.4","catch_line":"Exemptions to article; pari-mutuel wagering","url":"\/18.2-334.4\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-334.4","metadata":false},{"id":78964,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-334.5","catch_line":"Exemptions to article; certain gaming operations","url":"\/18.2-334.5\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-334.5","metadata":false},{"id":73596,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-334.6","catch_line":"Exemptions to article; amusement devices","url":"\/18.2-334.6\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-334.6","metadata":false},{"id":70558,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-335","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-335\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-335","metadata":false},{"id":73018,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-336","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/18.2-336\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-336","metadata":false},{"id":58107,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-337","catch_line":"Immunity of witnesses from prosecution","url":"\/18.2-337\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-337","metadata":false},{"id":58992,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-338","catch_line":"Enforcement of \u00a7 18.2-331 by Governor and Attorney General","url":"\/18.2-338\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-338","metadata":false},{"id":81435,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-339","catch_line":"Enjoining offenses relating to gambling","url":"\/18.2-339\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-339","metadata":false},{"id":61538,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-340","catch_line":"County ordinances prohibiting illegal gambling","url":"\/18.2-340\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-340","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":58107,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-337","catch_line":"Immunity of witnesses from prosecution","url":"\/18.2-337\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-337","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":81435,"structure_id":14815,"section_number":"18.2-339","catch_line":"Enjoining offenses relating to gambling","url":"\/18.2-339\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-339","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-338\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1960, chapter 358; in 1975, chapters 14 and 15.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":67229,"section_number":"18.2-331","catch_line":"Illegal possession, etc., of gambling device; penalty","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-331\/"}],"permalink":{"id":167481,"object_type":"law","relational_id":58992,"identifier":"18.2-338","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-338","url":"\/18.2-338\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-338\/","token":"18.2\/8\/1\/18.2-338","dublin_core":{"Title":"Enforcement of \u00a7 18.2-331 by Governor and Attorney General","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-338","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

If it shall come to the knowledge of the Governor that \u00a7 18.2-331<\/a> is not being enforced in any county, city or town, the Governor may call upon the Attorney General<\/span> to direct its enforcement in such county, city or town, and thereupon the Attorney General<\/span> may instruct the attorney for the Commonwealth, sheriff and chief of police, if any, of such county, or the attorney for the Commonwealth and chief of police of such city, or the attorney for the Commonwealth of the county in which such town is located and the chief of police or sergeant of such town, to take such steps as may be necessary to insure the enforcement of such section in such county, city or town, and if any such officers, after receiving such instructions, shall thereafter fail or refuse to exercise diligence in the enforcement of \u00a7 18.2-331<\/a>, the Attorney General<\/span> shall make report thereof in writing to the Governor and to the judge<\/span> of the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> having jurisdiction<\/span> over the acts thereby prohibited, and thereupon the Attorney General<\/span> upon being directed so to do by the Governor, shall take such steps as he may deem proper in directing the institution and prosecution<\/span> of criminal proceedings, to secure the enforcement of \u00a7 18.2-331<\/a>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nENFORCEMENT OF \u00a7 18.2-331 BY GOVERNOR AND ATTORNEY GENERAL (\u00a7 18.2-338)\n\nIf it shall come to the knowledge of the Governor that \u00a7 18.2-331 is not being\nenforced in any county, city or town, the Governor may call upon the Attorney\nGeneral to direct its enforcement in such county, city or town, and thereupon\nthe Attorney General may instruct the attorney for the Commonwealth, sheriff and\nchief of police, if any, of such county, or the attorney for the Commonwealth\nand chief of police of such city, or the attorney for the Commonwealth of the\ncounty in which such town is located and the chief of police or sergeant of such\ntown, to take such steps as may be necessary to insure the enforcement of such\nsection in such county, city or town, and if any such officers, after receiving\nsuch instructions, shall thereafter fail or refuse to exercise diligence in the\nenforcement of \u00a7 18.2-331, the Attorney General shall make report thereof in\nwriting to the Governor and to the judge of the circuit court having\njurisdiction over the acts thereby prohibited, and thereupon the Attorney\nGeneral upon being directed so to do by the Governor, shall take such steps as\nhe may deem proper in directing the institution and prosecution of criminal\nproceedings, to secure the enforcement of \u00a7 18.2-331.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-334; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}