Published on: October 6, 2025, 10:22h.
Updated on: October 6, 2025, 10:22h.
- A man has been taken into custody for damaging a Virginia skill game with an angle grinder.
- Despite a state Supreme Court decision outlawing these machines, skill games in Virginia are still a topic of contention.
A resident from Martinsville, Virginia, is facing serious felony charges after reportedly causing a ruckus at a gas station where disputed skill games were in use.
On September 27, officers from the Henry County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched in response to a distress call about a threatening individual who had been using an unregulated skill gaming machine at J&H Market, located at 870 Preston Rd. Eyewitness reports indicated that the 41-year-old Burnette exploded in anger following losses at the slot-like device. He allegedly brandished a firearm while insisting that the cashier refund his money.
After departing the store, Burnette reportedly returned shortly after with a cordless angle grinder. Both employees and customers fled as he purportedly used the grinder to inflict damage on the gaming machine.
Surveillance footage confirmed Burnette’s behavior, depicting him grinding the gaming machine and subsequently smashing its screen,” stated the Henry County Sheriff’s Office in their report.
Burnette was apprehended on September 29, around 9:39 am, without incident at his workplace.
Felony Charges Against Convicted Offender
According to law enforcement, the investigation revealed that Burnette is a convicted felon, leading to an arrest warrant.
He is now confronted with multiple felonies, including property destruction, illegal possession of a firearm, using a firearm during a felony, having burglary tools, and attempted robbery.
Currently, Burnette is being held without bail at the Henry County Adult Detention Center, with his court appearance scheduled for December 11. He faces the possibility of being imprisoned for over a decade.
Incident Reflects Ongoing Issue with Skill Games
As it stands, traditional skill games, which had been in operation in the state, are deemed illegal in Virginia. These games, resembling slots, primarily required players to identify winning paylines; supporters argued this element made them games of skill rather than pure chance.
In a bid to assist struggling local businesses during the pandemic, Virginia lawmakers temporarily authorized the operation of skill games. However, this allowance ceased in July 2021. Legal disputes allowed ongoing operation until the Virginia Supreme Court ruled in October 2023 that the games were indeed illegal gambling.
In response, the manufacturers of these machines innovated. With the state classifying a “gambling machine” as one needing coin insertion for functionality, skill gaming companies adapted by creating machines that require players to pay a cashier.
The new Queen of Virginia skill machines necessitate players to pay cash to a cashier, who then remotely credits the machine for gameplay. Pace-O-Matic, the creator of these systems, contends that this method satisfies the state’s gambling regulations.
The Henry County Sheriff’s Office did not specify which type of gaming machine Burnette was allegedly using but stated that the gaming area at J&H Market seemed to be used for illicit gambling activities.
The Virginia Lottery has yet to respond to Casino.org’s request regarding whether the incident could impact J&H Market’s lottery retailer license.