Gaming Kiosks for Convenience Stores: A Georgia C-Store Owner’s Guide
For a Georgia convenience store, a gaming kiosk is the self-service unit that lets players redeem skill-game credit without tying up the counter — and after July 1, 2026, it is the unit that redeems that credit onto a gift card instead of cash, as HB 353 requires. For a c-store running Class B COAMs, the kiosk removes cash-handling cost and keeps a clean audit trail in one box near the register.
C-stores are the heart of Georgia’s Class B COAM footprint, and the HB 353 transition lands squarely on them. Here is what the kiosk does for a store owner, and what to weigh before the deadline.
What the kiosk does behind the counter
A redemption kiosk takes the redemption job off your staff. A player redeems credit at the kiosk; your clerk keeps ringing up coffee and gas. The kiosk validates the credit, redeems it onto a gift card, and logs the transaction — no cash drawer to manage for redemptions, no handwritten log, no line at the register.
What it costs a c-store
The legacy redemption cabinet was capital equipment — $10,000 to $20,000 up front plus software, support, and the cost of running cash. For a single-store owner, that rarely penciled out. Payline prices the kiosk as a flat all-inclusive lease of about $300/mo: hardware, software, support, and updates in one number, with no upfront purchase. At that rate, the kiosk earns its keep on saved staff time and eliminated cash handling alone.
What HB 353 changes for your store
On July 1, 2026, Georgia moves Class B COAM redemption off cash and onto gift cards. For a c-store, that means any cash-dispensing redemption hardware needs to be a gift-card-capable kiosk by the deadline. The redemption still happens at the store — it just lands on a card, and the cash-handling burden goes away with it.
The first step is confirming your store appears on the Georgia Lottery Corporation’s published COAM list. Payline’s free eligibility lookup checks your license number against that public record. (Payline is not affiliated with or endorsed by the GLC.)
The c-store checklist
Before the deadline, a store owner should:
- Confirm the store is a Class B COAM location on the GLC published list.
- Replace or convert any cash-dispensing redemption hardware with a gift-card-capable kiosk.
- Choose an all-inclusive lease over a capital purchase unless redemption volume is very high.
- Make sure the kiosk keeps a complete audit trail and fits the counter footprint.
FAQ
Do convenience stores need a gaming kiosk for HB 353?
A Georgia c-store running Class B COAMs needs a gift-card-capable redemption kiosk by July 1, 2026, when HB 353 moves Class B redemption off cash and onto gift cards. Cash-dispensing redemption hardware will not be usable for compliant redemption after that date.
How much does a c-store gaming kiosk cost?
Payline’s kiosk is a flat all-inclusive lease of about $300/mo — hardware, software, support, and updates included — versus $10,000–$20,000 up front for a legacy redemption cabinet plus its recurring costs.
Does the kiosk free up my staff?
Yes. Players redeem credit at the self-service kiosk instead of at the register, so your clerks keep serving other customers while the kiosk validates, redeems onto a gift card, and logs each transaction.
Keep reading
See it running.
Schedule a demo of the Payline kiosk — or check your COAM license eligibility free. Wave 1 is capped at the 500-kiosk launch fleet.