The Brief
- Brothers Quinton and Phillip Watts were sentenced to significant prison and probation terms for a multi-year scheme targeting lottery-regulated machines across Georgia.
- The GBI’s Commercial Gambling Unit found the pair stole from machines in at least 12 different counties over a three-year span.
- In addition to prison time, the men face a combined $86,000 in restitution and a permanent ban from Columbia County.
COLUMBIA COUNTY, Ga. – Two Georgia brothers have been sentenced after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said they defrauded the Georgia Lottery more than a dozen times over a years-long period.
Brothers accused of lottery fraud
What we know:
Quinton Watts, 27, and Phillip Watts, 31, both of Sparta, were sentenced Thursday after being arrested for defrauding the lottery.
The GBI began investigating the men in August 2024 at the request of the Georgia Lottery Commission. Agents said the brothers stole money from video poker-style machines—commonly known as Coin Operated Amusement Machines (COAM)—across more than 12 counties between June 2021 and September 2024.…