2023 CODE OF GEORGIA › Title 50 - STATE GOVERNMENT (§§ 50-1-1 — 50-40-84) › Chapter 27 - LOTTERY FOR EDUCATION (§§ 50-27-1 — 50-27-104) › Article 3 - COIN OPERATED AMUSEMENT MACHINES (§§ 50-27-70 — 50-27-104) › Part 1 - GENERALLY (§§ 50-27-70 — 50-27-89) › Section 50-27-71.1 - [Use of nonreloadable gift cards; use of replays, lottery programs, and nonreloadable and reloadable gift cards]

(a)
(1)
On and after the effective date of this Code section and before July 1, 2026, nonreloadable gift cards shall be allowed as a legal form of redemption for Class A machines and Class B machines in addition to any other form of redemption allowed by law or authorized by the corporation.
(2)
On and after July 1, 2026:
(A)
Only replays and nonreloadable and reloadable gift cards shall be allowed as a legal form of redemption for Class A machines in addition to any other form of redemption allowed by law or authorized by the corporation; and
(B)
Only replays, lottery products, and nonreloadable and reloadable gift cards shall be allowed as a legal form of redemption for Class B machines and no other form of redemption shall be allowed. Any location owner or location operator that provides for the redemption of products or services, other than replays and lottery products, that are not on a gift card shall, in addition to any other penalties provided by law, receive a warning for the first violation and shall be punished by civil penalties for any subsequent violations that shall be imposed by the corporation in amounts that are proportional to any amounts inappropriately redeemed; provided, however, that nothing in this subparagraph shall be construed to eliminate or reduce any administrative penalty related to a violation of Code Section
16-12-35
.
(b)
No value shall be placed on a gift card unless such value has been won by the player for the successful play of a game on the bona fide coin operated amusement machine. Such gift card may be used off the premises of the location licensee, but shall be loaded or caused to be loaded only on the location licensee's premises and only by the location licensee or its employees on such premises or by a self-service gift card redemption device on such premises. A gift card may be honored by the location licensee upon presentation but shall not be exchanged for cash, change, or currency.
(c)
Notwithstanding Code Section
16-12-35
or any other provision of law to the contrary:
(1)
Gift cards shall be redeemable or exchangeable for any goods or services which a successful player is entitled or permitted by law to purchase; and
(2)
The award of such gift card shall be a lawful act of in-store redemption and shall be permitted to be fully redeemed off the premises.
(d)
A successful player may redeem his or her winnings on a gift card from a self-service gift card device. Such device and the cost of such device may be provided by the location owner or location operator, the master licensee, or both. Any contract or agreement entered into with a master licensee for the provision of self-service gift card redemption devices shall not be subject to the provisions of Code Section
50-27-87.1
.
Added by 2024 Ga. Laws 586,§ 5, eff. 5/6/2024.