TITO vs TICO: Ticket-In Ticket-Out vs Ticket-In Card-Out, Explained
TITO (Ticket-In, Ticket-Out) and TICO (Ticket-In, Card-Out) describe how a redemption system handles player value. TITO takes a ticket in and returns another ticket or dispenses cash; TICO takes a ticket in and returns value on a card. For Georgia COAM operators, TICO is the model that fits HB 353, because it redeems player credit onto a gift card instead of dispensing cash.
The acronyms sound interchangeable, but the difference is exactly the thing Georgia’s 2026 transition turns on. Here is what each means and which one a Class B location needs.
What TITO means
Ticket-In, Ticket-Out is the classic flow: a player inserts a ticket or voucher, and the system returns value — historically as cash, or as another ticket to be redeemed elsewhere. TITO grew up in environments built around cash dispensing, which is precisely the component Georgia’s HB 353 retires for Class B COAM redemption.
What TICO means
Ticket-In, Card-Out keeps the ticket-validation front end and changes the output: instead of cash or another ticket, the player’s validated credit is redeemed onto a spendable card. That is the gift-card redemption model HB 353 moves Georgia toward — the redemption job survives, the cash leaves.
Why card-out fits Georgia
After July 1, 2026, Class B COAM redemption in Georgia happens onto gift cards. A card-out (TICO-style) kiosk maps directly onto that requirement: it validates the player’s ticket or credit and redeems it onto a reloadable or non-reloadable card, with disclosed terms and a full audit trail. A ticket-out or cash-dispensing flow does not.
Payline’s redemption terminal is built for card-out: value from a ticket-in session redeems onto the same gift card rail, so the ticket-redemption job carries through the cash transition intact.
FAQ
What is the difference between TITO and TICO?
TITO (Ticket-In, Ticket-Out) returns value as another ticket or cash. TICO (Ticket-In, Card-Out) redeems the player’s validated credit onto a spendable card. TICO fits Georgia’s HB 353 gift-card redemption model.
Which model does Georgia HB 353 require?
HB 353 moves Class B COAM redemption onto gift cards from July 1, 2026, so a card-out (TICO-style) flow fits — the kiosk validates the ticket and redeems credit onto a card rather than dispensing cash.
Can a TITO system be used in Georgia after July 1, 2026?
A cash-dispensing TITO flow is not compliant for Class B COAM redemption after the cash transition. A card-out kiosk that redeems credit onto a gift card is what the law requires.
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