COAM Machines for Georgia Laundromats

COAM machines for Georgia laundromats

Laundromats can hold a Class B location license. Class B machines need a licensed business, prize stock on-site and, in many cities, an attendant aged 18 or older, so an unattended laundry has that to solve first.

One question the Georgia Lottery hasn't answered yet

We haven't found a Georgia Lottery statement that answers this for laundromats yet:

Whether washer and dryer revenue counts as gross retail receipts for the 50% rule.

This page is our good-faith reading of the sources linked below as of the date shown. Confirm with the Georgia Lottery before you count that revenue in your numbers.

By Justin Gilmore Last reviewed: November 6, 2026 3 min read

Can a laundromat host Class B machines?

Laundromats can hold a Class B location license. The law speaks of "a business where one or more" machines are available to the public (O.C.G.A. § 50-27-70), and the Georgia Lottery's list of prohibited business types doesn't name laundromats (GLC guide).

Why does staffing come first?

Three things assume someone is there:

Prizes. Players redeem at the business, and the Georgia Lottery may check for enough prize stock on-site before it issues a license (GLC guide).
Attendants. Savannah and Lilburn won't let a location open to the public without an attendant aged 18 or older, and others we've read do the same. See local COAM rules.
Plain view. Local governments can require machines to stay in plain view and accessible (O.C.G.A. § 50-27-86).

If your laundry runs unattended or on long self-service hours, work this out before anything else. In cities with an attendant rule, that may mean staffing every open hour. Operators generally want a laundromat to have staff on site during open hours, because unattended stores have more theft and damage.

Once staffing is handled, the store itself decides it. A busy laundromat, with plenty of washers and dryers and people there most of the day, can be a strong location. A small or quiet one usually isn't.

How does the 50% rule fit a laundry?

Your share of machine revenue can't be more than 50 percent of your gross retail receipts, meaning revenue from the sale of goods and services at that location (O.C.G.A. § 50-27-84). Washer, dryer and wash-and-fold revenue look like services, but we haven't found the Georgia Lottery saying so for a laundry.

Keep those records carefully, especially if much of your revenue comes in as coins, because the numbers have to hold up in a review. Try your own numbers in the 50% rule checker.

Questions from laundromat owners

Are my washers and dryers COAMs?

No. Georgia's definition specifically leaves out coin operated washing machines and dryers (O.C.G.A. § 50-27-70).

Do machines have to be in a separate room?

We haven't found a state rule that says so, and some local rules point the other way by requiring plain view. Check your city or county (O.C.G.A. § 50-27-86).

Can a customer redeem at the counter of a store next door?

No. Evidence of winnings has to be redeemable only at the premises where the machine is, apart from Georgia Lottery products (O.C.G.A. § 16-12-35). Gift cards are issued on site, from a kiosk or from a small countertop unit that staff use.