Poker Game Host Fights Back Against Police with Lawsuit Over 'Unlawful' Raid
A county coroner in South Carolina who was arrested during a poker home game raid is fighting back with a lawsuit against the police agency that put him in handcuffs.
Gary Watts, 67, was one of three poker players arrested during a 2024 raid for allegedly operating an illegal poker game. The three individuals — Watts, Adam Watts (28), and Daniel Schaffer (53) — were charged with keeping unlawful gaming tables.
Police also charged seven others for playing in the alleged illegal games and seized $15,000 in cash.
“This type of activity is against state law, and will not be tolerated in Irmo,” said Irmo Police Chief Bobby Dale following the raid. “We have seen in past gambling operations that lives have been lost because of the financial greed of some involved. We will not allow this activity to be a part of our community.”
A court in 2025, however, ruled that the games weren't illegal, and Watts is now seeking financial retribution.
Poker Game Host Files Lawsuit
Watts, a former Richland County coroner, hosted poker games in an office building. State law specifically prohibits gambling in locations such as taverns, liquor stores, streets, and race tracks. But there is no mention in the law of an office suite being prohibited.
The local poker player, following his arrest, claimed the games were played among friends, and he wasn't running any sort of casino business. A court sided with him, and he filed a lawsuit against the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the Town of Irmo.
Watts, in the lawsuit filed in the Richland County Common Pleas Court on Aug. 25, claims the SLED broke the law, not him. He accuses police of false arrest, malicious prosecution, and trespassing.
Both the SLED and the city of Irmo responded publicly to the lawsuit.
“While we don’t agree with the exceedingly creative characterizations in the Amended Complaint, the proper course of action is to allow our judicial process to run its course. The Town of Irmo remains committed to transparency, accountability, and acting in the best interest of our community,” town spokeswoman Ashley Hunter told The State, a South Carolina news outlet.
Renee Wunderlich, a spokesperson for the SLED, said in a statement: “It would be improper for SLED to discuss pending litigation.”
Watts' attorneys, in the lawsuit, assert that police arrested a harmless “group of friends who routinely gather in an office suite to play poker, have dinner, and share fellowship.”
“An office suite has never been an unlawful location for a poker game. There was no reasonable basis to believe that Watts had committed any crime," the lawsuit reads.
An informant tipped off the authorities about the alleged illegal poker games, which led to the raid. The investigation lasted months before arrests were made.
