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 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.
Since July 1, 2026, a ticket may be redeemed only these four ways:
That is the whole list. Nothing else counts as a legal redemption.
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.
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.
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.