← All COAM answers Is a kiosk less headache than my own gift card?
September 28, 2026 · Coam Tracker · 3-minute read
Short answer: a kiosk takes the counting off your clerk. It does not take the records, the fees, or the contract off you. For many stores, your own card at the counter is less headache, not more. Here is the honest comparison.
What a kiosk does well
- The customer feeds the ticket in and gets a card out. Your clerk does nothing.
- No mistakes typing an amount.
- Works when the counter is busy.
What a kiosk does not do
- It does not pay for itself. Rented systems in Georgia are commonly quoted in the hundreds of dollars a month, often on a multi-year lease. Read your quote.
- It does not stay when you cancel. Most contracts take the hardware back.
- It does not keep you inside the rules by itself. If the card it gives can be turned into cash anywhere, that is your problem, not the machine’s.
- It does not keep your records for the inspector unless you can print them. Ask.
What your own card does
- One tap at the counter: ticket amount in, card loaded, record saved.
- The card only works in your store. It cannot become cash. That is the rule, built in.
- Nothing to rent. Nothing to give back.
- The customer comes back to spend it — in your store.
What is your job either way
The records. Kiosk or card, the license holder must show what was redeemed, when, for how much, and by whom. Five years. That never moves to a machine or a company.
How to decide
- How many tickets a day? A few dozen fits a counter. Hundreds may want a machine.
- Add up 36 months of the kiosk quote. Compare it to the cost of your own card.
- Ask what happens the day you cancel.
Where this comes from
Coam Tracker: your own store gift card, one tap at the counter, records kept — see how → 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.