Two brothers from Sparta, Georgia, have faced the hammer of justice for their elaborate scheme to defraud the state lottery, as Quinton Watts, 27, and Phillip Watts, 31, received a sentence of 20 years in prison after an investigation revealed they manipulated video poker-style machines for financial gain. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) was asked to step in by the Georgia Lottery Commission in August 2024, and their findings have concluded a multi-county spree of both deceit and theft, with the brothers targeting machines in over a dozen counties from June 2021 through September 2024, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.
In a series of felonious acts that included racketeering, lottery ticket fraud, and theft by taking the brothers were accused of pilfering money from what the industry knows as Coin Operated Amusement Machines (COAMs), the GBI told 13WMAZ. The sentencing did not end with prison alone; Quinton Watts was handed 45 years of probation and Phillip Watts 35, coupled with an $86,000 restitution order, they also suffered the unusual sanction of being banned from the very county their crimes flourished, forbidden from ever stepping foot in the stores involved or engaging with the COAMs within Georgia's borders.
COAMs are usually located in the casual confines of gas stations and convenience stores, presenting themselves as the innocuous background to everyday errands and stops for fuel. These arcade-style machines, regulated by the Georgia Lottery, are not all fun and games, though, as they handle transactions that lead to rewards ranging from lottery tickets to gas credits and even in-store merchandise, allowing only non-cash exchanges in line with Georgia's strict gaming laws, per FOX 5 Atlanta's insights.
The scheme took place at multiple locations in Columbia County. Columbia County Superior Court Judge Barry A. Fleming sentenced the brothers to 20 years in prison, followed by nearly 40 years of probation, and ordered them to pay $86,000 in restitution, according to 13WMAZ coverage.
