Action for money damages due to violations—Interest—Attorneys' fees—Evidence for exoneration

In addition to any other penalty provided for in this chapter, every person, directly or indirectly controlling the operation of any gambling activity authorized by this chapter, including a director, officer, and/or manager of any association, organization, or corporation conducting the same, whether charitable, nonprofit, or profit, shall be liable, jointly and severally, for money damages suffered by any person because of any violation of this chapter, together with interest on any such amount of money damages at six percent per annum from the date of the loss, and reasonable attorneys' fees: PROVIDED, That if any such director, officer, and/or manager did not know any such violation was taking place and had taken all reasonable care to prevent any such violation from taking place, and if such director, officer, and/or manager shall establish by a preponderance of the evidence that he or she did not have such knowledge and that he or she had exercised all reasonable care to prevent the violations he or she shall not be liable hereunder. Any civil action under this section may be considered a class action.