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One question per post, answered in plain English, with links to the law and the Lottery’s own words. New post every week.
Can I give my own store gift card for a winning ticket?
September 28, 2026 · Coam Tracker · 2-minute read
Short answer: yes. Since July 1, 2026, a Georgia store with Class B machines can redeem a winning ticket with a gift card. The law does not say whose card. An in-house card — your own store’s gift card — is allowed as long as it follows the rules below.
What the law actually says
O.C.G.A. § 50-27-71.1 lists gift cards as one of the four legal ways to redeem a ticket. It sets rules for the card. It does not name a company, a brand, or a “program.” The Georgia Lottery’s own notice says a store that does not have gift cards yet should “independently research” how to offer them. That means the choice is yours.
The six rules your card must follow
- The money on the card comes only from a winning ticket.
- The card is loaded at your store — by you, a worker, or a self-serve machine.
- The customer can use it later, away from the store.
- You may honor your own card when the customer comes back.
- It can never be turned into cash, change, or currency. No cash back.
- Reloadable or non-reloadable — both are fine.
What “in-house” means in practice
An in-house card is spent at your store, on your goods. Nobody else honors it. That is the simplest kind of card there is, and it fits the rules with room to spare: the money never leaves your store, so it can never become cash somewhere else.
What you still have to do
Write it down. Every ticket you redeem with a card is a record: the ticket amount, the card, the date, who did it. When the customer spends the card, that is a record too. Inspectors ask for these. Keep them five years.
One thing to avoid
Do not let the card become a step toward cash — no cash back, no money orders, no prepaid cards, no money transfers. The Georgia Lottery said on September 16, 2026 that a gift card can never be used to get cash, in whole or in part.
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Can an ATM give cash for a COAM gift card?
September 28, 2026 · Coam Tracker · 2-minute read
Short answer: no. A COAM gift card can never be turned into cash — not at the register, not at an ATM, not through a bank or a cash app. The law says so, and the Georgia Lottery said it again in writing on September 16, 2026.
The law
O.C.G.A. § 50-27-71.1(b) says a gift card used for COAM redemption “shall not be exchanged for cash, change, or currency.” There is no exception for machines, ATMs, or third parties.
What the Georgia Lottery said
In a guidance letter dated September 16, 2026, the Georgia Lottery’s COAM Division wrote that a gift card cannot be used to get cash “in any manner, whether in whole or in part.” No cash back. No partial cash. No workaround.
Why people ask
Some card systems are built on bank cards that work at ATMs. That is exactly what the Lottery is warning about.
If a card can spit out cash anywhere, it is not a legal COAM redemption — and the store that gave it is the one holding the license.
Which cards are allowed
Any gift card can be used — a bank-network card (Visa or Mastercard brand) or your own store card — as long as it follows the rule: no cash, ever. The law does not pick a brand. It bans the cash.
- Bank-network card: allowed, but only if cash features are off — no ATM withdrawal, no cash back at a register, no transfer to a bank or cash app. Ask the provider to put that in writing before you use it.
- Your own store card: allowed, and it cannot become cash anywhere, because it only works in your store. There is no ATM for it.
What to tell a customer
“This card buys things. It never becomes cash.” Put it on the card and on the receipt so nobody has to argue at the counter.
Where this comes from
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Who is the approved COAM gift card vendor?
September 28, 2026 · Coam Tracker · 2-minute read
Short answer: nobody. The Georgia Lottery has not published an approved-vendor list, and Georgia law does not name one. The law sets rules for the card. Any card that follows those rules works — including your own store’s card.
Where the myth comes from
Salespeople say “approved” or “endorsed” because it sounds safe. But the Georgia Lottery has not endorsed any gift card company for COAM redemption. Its own July 1, 2026 notice tells a store that does not have gift cards to “independently research and establish a relationship with a gift card provider.” Independently. That is the opposite of an approved list.
What the law asks for instead
- The card holds only money from a winning ticket.
- It is loaded at the store.
- It can be used later, away from the store.
- It never becomes cash.
- Reloadable or not — your choice.
That is the whole test. A company can help you meet it. A company cannot make you “approved.”
What to ask anyone selling you a card system
- Can this card ever be turned into cash anywhere? (It must not.)
- Who owns the card balance if I stop using your system?
- What is the monthly fee, and what happens to the hardware if I cancel?
- Where are my records, and can I print them for an inspector?
The simplest answer
Your own store gift card, spent only in your store, meets every rule without a middleman. What matters is that you keep the records.
Where this comes from
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How does an in-house COAM gift card work, step by step?
September 28, 2026 · Coam Tracker · 3-minute read
Short answer: the customer hands you a winning ticket, you put that amount on a card that only works at your store, you write it down, and the customer spends it on your shelves whenever they want. No cash ever moves.
Step 1 — the ticket
The machine prints a ticket for the amount won. The customer brings it to the counter.
Step 2 — the card
You load that exact amount onto a store gift card. New card, or top up a card they already have (reloadable). The load happens at your store, by you or your clerk. That is the law.
Step 3 — the record
Write down the ticket amount, the card, the date and time, and who did it. This is the record an inspector asks for. Keep it five years.
Step 4 — the customer shops
Today, tomorrow, next month — the customer picks items and pays with the card. You take the price off the card balance. Store goods only. Never cash back.
Step 5 — the balance goes to zero
A non-reloadable card is done when it is spent. A reloadable card waits for the next winning ticket.
“Do I have to deposit money somewhere?”
No. There is no bank deposit and no company holding your money. The card balance is store goods you owe, not a pile of cash. What you do have to keep is a clean record of every card still holding a balance — that is money your store owes in goods.
“How does the customer redeem it?”
They come back and shop. The clerk looks up the card (a scan or a code), takes the purchase off the balance, and hands them a receipt. That is it. Nothing goes to a bank or a card network.
“Where do I get the cards?”
Two roads. Rent a card system from a company (monthly fee, their cards, their hardware, their contract). Or issue your own store card with software that tracks the balance and prints the record. Either road must follow the same rules; only the cost and the headaches differ.
Where this comes from
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Georgia COAM gift card rules, in plain words
September 27, 2026 · Coam Tracker · 3-minute read
Short answer: since July 1, 2026, a Georgia store with Class B machines can redeem a winning ticket with a gift card. The law sets six rules for that card. Follow them and the card is a legal redemption. Break one and it is not.
The six rules
- 1. The card can only hold COAM wins. The money on the card comes from a winning ticket. Nothing else goes on it.
- 2. It gets loaded at the store. The store owner, a worker, or a self-serve machine loads the card, on the store's own property.
- 3. The customer can use it later, away from the store. The card does not have to be spent on the spot.
- 4. The store may honor its own card. A customer can bring the card back and spend it at the store that gave it.
- 5. It can never become cash. Not cash, not change, not currency. The Georgia Lottery said it again on September 16, 2026: a gift card can never be used to get cash — not in whole, not in part. No cash back at the register either.
- 6. Reloadable or non-reloadable — both are allowed. A non-reloadable card is loaded once and spent down. A reloadable card can be topped up on a later visit. The store picks.
What the card can buy
The law itself only says what the card can never become: cash. The Georgia Lottery adds one more rule in its Location License Holder Guide for store owners: “No alcohol, tobacco, or firearms can be redeemed as COAM prizes.” Its gift card FAQ says the same about the card: “The COAM gift card is not allowed for purchase of alcohol, tobacco, or firearms.”
So the safe reading is simple — the card buys things in the store, except alcohol, tobacco, and firearms. And it should never be a step toward cash: no cash back, no money orders, no prepaid cards, no money transfers.
Do I need a special company to do this?
The law does not name any company. It names the rules. A store can use its own gift card as long as the card follows the six rules above. The Georgia Lottery’s notice says a store that is not already set up with gift cards should “independently research” how to offer them — that is the owner’s choice to make.
Who is responsible?
The store. The location license holder is the one who must follow the redemption rules, and the one an inspector asks. That is why the records matter: which ticket, which card, how much, when, and who did it.
Reloadable vs non-reloadable — which one?
- Non-reloadable: one ticket, one card. Simple to track. The card is done when the money is spent.
- Reloadable: one card per customer, loaded again each time they win. Fewer cards, but the store must track every load on that card.
Either way, every load must be a COAM win, and every load should be written down.
Where this comes from
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The 4 legal ways to redeem a ticket
September 27, 2026 · Coam Tracker · 2-minute read
Short answer: a store can redeem a Class B COAM ticket for replays, lottery products, a non-reloadable gift card, or a reloadable gift card. A store does not have to offer all four — that choice belongs to the owner.
The four ways
- Replays — more plays on the machine, no cash ever changes hands
- Lottery products — requires the store to also be a registered Georgia Lottery retailer
- Non-reloadable gift cards — a card loaded once, spent down, done
- Reloadable gift cards — a card that can be topped up again on a future visit
Every one of these traces back to Georgia law, most recently confirmed in a Georgia Lottery notice dated July 1, 2026.
You do not have to offer all four
This is the part a lot of store owners get wrong: offering lottery products AND gift cards is not required. A store can pick gift cards only, lottery only, or both. It is entirely up to the owner. If you are not already set up as a lottery retailer and do not want to be, gift cards alone are a complete, legal answer.
If you want to add lottery products
A store that is not yet a Georgia Lottery retailer has to apply separately through the Georgia Lottery, not through the COAM license. If your store already sells lottery tickets at the counter, make sure you are keeping enough lottery inventory on hand to actually redeem with it — running out mid-redemption is its own headache.
Why this is worth knowing
Picking the wrong mix — or not knowing you had a choice — can mean turning away a legal redemption, or worse, reaching for something off the list because it felt easier. Knowing the real menu, and that it is your call, keeps every redemption clean.
Where this comes from
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What "redemption" actually means
September 26, 2026 · Coam Tracker · 2-minute read
Short answer: when a customer hands over a winning ticket, the word for what happens next is redemption — never money handed across the counter. That is not just a word choice. It is the law.
A ticket is traded, not cashed
A COAM machine can print a ticket showing points won. A customer brings that ticket to your counter. What happens next has a name in Georgia law: redemption. The ticket is traded for one of a short list of legal prizes. It is never traded for money out of the register.
The four things a ticket can become
Since July 1, 2026, a ticket may be redeemed only these four ways: replays, lottery products, non-reloadable gift cards, or reloadable gift cards. That is the whole list. Nothing else counts as a legal redemption.
Why the word matters
Other words people sometimes use all point toward money changing hands. That is not what a legal COAM redemption is. Using the right word — redemption — every time, out loud and on paper, keeps your store's story straight with what the law actually allows. It also keeps a customer from expecting cash you cannot give them.
What this means for your records
Every redemption should be written down the same way: who, when, which of the four ways, and the ticket amount. One clean word for the whole process makes that record easy to keep — and easy for an inspector to read in ten seconds.
Where this comes from
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Can a COAM ticket be redeemed for merchandise?
September 23, 2026 · Coam Tracker · 2-minute read
Short answer: no. A customer cannot hand you a ticket and walk out with chips, drinks, or anything off the shelf. Merchandise is not one of the four legal ways — and inspectors know it.
The four ways — and merchandise is not there
Since July 1, 2026, Georgia law allows a COAM ticket to be redeemed only four ways: replays, lottery products, non-reloadable gift cards, or reloadable gift cards. That list comes from House Bill 353. Nothing else is on it. Not cash. Not merchandise.
But there is a legal way to get there
Two steps instead of one:
Step 1
The customer redeems the ticket for your store gift card. That is one of the four legal ways.
Step 2
The customer buys the merchandise with the gift card — like any customer paying at your counter.
Same ending — the customer walks out with what he wanted. But now both steps are in the law, and your records show a clean redemption. One thing to remember: the gift card buys store merchandise only — and it can never become cash.
Why skipping the step is not worth it
Handing merchandise straight for a ticket makes a redemption record that does not match the law. Inspectors check redemption records on every visit. A shortcut that saves ten seconds at the counter can cost you a written warning — or worse. Two steps is the easy way to stay clean.
Where this comes from
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Have game machines? You must keep records.
September 23, 2026 · Coam Tracker · 3-minute read
By hand or an app — your pick. There is no choice on keeping records. If COAM machines are in your store, the records go with them. That is the deal.
What you write down
Every redemption. Every single one:
Who
Who redeemed the ticket.
When
The day and the time.
How
Which of the
four legal ways — replays, lottery products, non-reloadable or reloadable gift cards. Never cash.
The ticket
The ticket amount — redeemed one of the four ways above, never as cash.
Why there is no choice
The Lottery has said its inspectors check prize redemption and records on every visit — and they visited 599 locations in July 2026 alone. The day an inspector asks, the records are what you show. A store with its records ready has a short visit. A store without them has a problem.
By hand works — if you really do it
A notebook at the counter is allowed. But it only works if every clerk writes every redemption, every shift, every day — and if you can find last Tuesday when someone asks. Most stores that keep a notebook keep it well for a week. Then it gets busy.
The easy way
Coam Tracker is one tap per ticket. The clerk taps, the record is made — who, when, which way, the ticket amount — and it is ready the day someone asks. Any phone or tablet. English & Español. It helps you keep the records Georgia law asks stores to keep — without the notebook.
Where this comes from
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What happens if my COAM sweep bounces?
September 23, 2026 · Coam Tracker · 3-minute read
Short answer: the state takes its share from your COAM bank account once a week — usually Wednesday. If the money is not there, your machines can be switched off that same day. Bounce again and again, and you can lose the license.
The weekly sweep
Every location has a Sweep Date. On that day, the money owed is pulled from the store’s COAM bank account by itself — nobody calls you first. The full calendar is public: the COAM Location Sweep / Push Calendar on gacoam.com under Documents.
What a bounce (NSF) can cost you
Same day
Your COAM machines — and the Lottery terminal with them — can be switched off until the balance is paid in full.
On a visit
Lottery inspectors can write a citation for the bounce.
Repeat
Bounce more than once in 90 days and the suspensions get longer each time — and can end with the license being taken away. A store with no security deposit on file gets shut off sooner, and must put one up to turn back on.
The COAM Division spelled this out in its September 2026 notice to location license holders, posted with its other notices under gacoam.com → Documents → COAM Communications. The Location License Holder Guide covers the sweep rules too.
The one habit that prevents all of it
Look at the COAM account before every sweep date. That’s it. Once a week, make sure the money is sitting there. If you keep your daily records, you already know what the week took in — so the sweep is never a surprise.
If it already bounced
Pay the balance in full as fast as you can — the machines stay off until it reaches zero. Questions go to COAM Retailer Services at 1-800-746-8546, options 6 and 2.
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What does a COAM inspector check?
September 23, 2026 · Coam Tracker · 3-minute read
Short answer: inspectors visit stores every month — 599 locations in July 2026 alone. The good news: only 18 got written warnings, and most problems were simple oversights. Here is what they look at, so yours isn’t one of them.
The walk-through
License
Your location license — current, and displayed.
The sign
The required GLC sign posted near the machines.
Decals
Each machine carrying its own current decal — and no more Class B machines than the law allows.
Records
Redemption records. The Lottery has said inspectors check prize redemption and records on every visit. Who redeemed, when, which of the four ways, and the ticket amount.
Redemption
Prizes redeemed only the
four legal ways — replays, lottery products, non-reloadable or reloadable gift cards.
Never cash.Inspectors are out every month
In July 2026 alone, inspectors visited 599 stores. One day they will walk into yours. The stores that got warnings mostly forgot small things — a paper, a sign, a record. Small things still get written up. The stores that pass are ready: license up, sign up, records ready to show right away. Be one of them.
The five-minute self-check
Walk your own store like an inspector once a month: Is the license up? Is the sign up? Does every machine have its decal? Can I show my redemption records for last week — right now? If all four answers are yes, a visit is nothing to fear.
Where this comes from
- Georgia Amusement Journal, August 2026 — 599 inspections, 18 written warnings (GLC COAM Advisory Board, July 21, 2026)
- Georgia Amusement Journal, September 2026 — inspectors check redemption records on every visit
- O.C.G.A. § 50-27-71 and § 50-27-71.1; gacoam.com license-holder guides
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What can a store redeem COAM tickets for?
September 22, 2026 · Coam Tracker · 3-minute read
Short answer: since July 1, 2026, Georgia law gives exactly four ways to redeem a Class B COAM prize. Never cash. Not even a little.
The four things
1
Replays — more play on the machine.
2
Lottery products — Georgia Lottery tickets sold at your store.
3
Non-reloadable gift cards — a gift card you load once.
4
Reloadable gift cards — a gift card you can load again.
That list comes from House Bill 353, which changed O.C.G.A. § 50-27-71 starting July 1, 2026. The Lottery has said the change went smoothly — and that inspectors check prize redemption and records on every visit.
The one thing it can never be
Cash. The law says it plainly: a gift card given for a COAM prize shall not be exchanged for cash, change, or currency — O.C.G.A. § 50-27-71.1(b). No cash back, no “close enough.” We wrote a whole page on this: the gift card law, in plain English.
What this looks like at the counter
A customer wins and brings you the ticket. You pick from the four ways above — and you make a record of it. Who redeemed, when, which of the four ways, and the ticket amount. Write it by hand or use an app. Your pick. But every ticket needs a record, because that is what the inspector asks to see.
Dates that go with this
License renewal for the 2027 year is due September 28. Gross retail receipts for July–September are due October 20 at gacoam.com. Our News & Dates page keeps the full list current.
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More answers coming, one each week: why a COAM gift card can never become cash · dates every store should know · city and county COAM rules · what records to keep when the bank asks.
See how Coam Tracker keeps your records → This page shares general information about Georgia law from public sources, with links. It is not legal advice. Coam Tracker helps you keep records. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Georgia Lottery Corporation or GAMOA.