Two Georgia brothers have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms after investigators say they carried out a years-long fraud scheme targeting Georgia Lottery–regulated gaming machines across the state. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Quinton Watts, 27, and Phillip Watts, 31, both of Sparta, defrauded the Georgia Lottery by stealing money from Coin Operated Amusement Machines (COAMs) in at least 12 Georgia counties over a three-year period.

The GBI’s Commercial Gambling Unit launched the investigation in August 2024 at the request of the Georgia Lottery Commission. Authorities determined the brothers targeted video poker-style COAM machines between June 2021 and September 2024, leading to multiple felony charges, including racketeering, lottery ticket fraud, theft by taking, and possession of tools for the commission of a crime.

In Columbia County Superior Court, Judge Barry A. Fleming sentenced Quinton Watts to 20 years in prison followed by 45 years of probation, while Phillip Watts received 20 years in prison followed by 35 years of probation. Both men were ordered to pay a combined $86,000 in restitution to the Georgia Lottery Commission. The judge also permanently banned both brothers from Columbia County, prohibited them from entering stores involved in the case, and barred them from playing COAM machines.

COAM machines are legal, lottery-regulated arcade-style games commonly found in gas stations and convenience stores. While players can earn points redeemable for non-cash items, gas credits, or lottery tickets, investigators say the Watts brothers exploited the system in violation of Georgia law.