HB 903: Georgia Administrative Procedure Act shall apply to all executive branch agencies; provide

This bill amends the Georgia Lottery for Education Act (O.C.G.A. Chapter 27 of Title 50), which regulates coin operated amusement machines like pinball, claw machines, and video games found in bars and arcades. It clarifies what counts as a 'bona fide coin operated amusement machine' and a 'Class A machine,' allows the multi-use function of machines, and lets location owners run billiards or darts tournaments on their premises with gift-card prizes, as long as no other licensee helps organize or fund them. The bill sets new noncash redemption caps: up to $50 wholesale value per play for machines that pay out prizes directly, but only $2 per play for machines tied to gift cards or other external redemptions. It restricts who can collect machine proceeds to master licensees, their employees, location owners, and location operators. It requires the Georgia Lottery Corporation to use a progressive discipline system (warning, then fine, then suspension and fine, then suspension or revocation) for violations, mandates a 2027 study on redemption and tampering data, moves appeals of corporation decisions to the Metro Atlanta Business Case Division of the Fulton County Superior Court, and creates a process for resolving disputes between master licensees and location owners, including attorney fee awards for frivolous claims. It takes effect when signed by the Governor.

• Clarifies that a coin operated amusement machine still counts as such even if it performs other unrelated functions, and updates the Class A machine definition.
• Authorizes location owners or operators to hold billiards or darts tournaments on their premises, with prizes limited to gift cards or other noncash redemption.
• Caps noncash redemption value per play at $50 wholesale for direct prizes but only $2 for machines linked to gift cards or external redemption.
• Restricts who may receive proceeds from machine play to master licensees, their employees, location owners, and location operators.
• Requires the Georgia Lottery Corporation to apply progressive discipline (warning, fine, suspension and fine, then suspension/revocation) across multiple violation types.
• Moves appeals from Georgia Lottery Corporation decisions to the Metro Atlanta Business Case Division of the Fulton County Superior Court and creates a dispute-resolution process between master licensees and location owners with possible attorney fee awards.

Businesses and individuals in Georgia's coin operated amusement machine industry, including master licensees, distributors, manufacturers, location owners and operators (bars, arcades, convenience stores), the Georgia Lottery Corporation, and the Fulton County Superior Court, which gains a new specialized docket for these appeals.

The bill changes how much money players can win from arcade-style machines, how licensees can be disciplined for violations, and where legal disputes over machine licenses get resolved. Location owners could host tournaments with prizes, while stricter redemption caps and required progressive discipline could change day-to-day enforcement across the state's amusement machine industry.

• Section 1 revises the definitions of 'bona fide coin operated amusement machine' and 'Class A machine' in Code Section 50-27-70, adding multi-function machines and setting differing redemption caps of $50 and $2 depending on redemption type.
• Section 2 adds new subsections to Code Section 50-27-71 authorizing billiards and darts tournaments with gift-card prizes and restricting who may receive machine proceeds to license holders, their employees, location owners, and operators.
• Section 3 amends Code Section 50-27-71.1 to limit legal redemption forms after July 1, 2026 and requires progressive discipline for violations, plus a study due by July 1, 2027 on redemption data and machine tampering.
• Section 4 restructures Code Section 50-27-73's license revocation grounds and adds a progressive discipline requirement, except for unauthorized use of license certificates or permit stickers.
• Section 5 moves appeals of Georgia Lottery Corporation actions from the chief executive officer process to the Metro Atlanta Business Case Division of the Fulton County Superior Court under Code Section 50-27-76.
• Section 6 changes the chief executive officer's authority to delegate hearing duties from optional ('may') to mandatory ('shall') under Code Section 50-27-81.
• Section 9 amends Code Section 50-27-102 to create a formal dispute process between master licensees and location owners, including cost and attorney fee awards against parties found to have acted without substantial justification.
• Section 10 makes the Act effective upon the Governor's signature or upon it becoming law without signature.

1. 2026-03-25Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
2. 2026-03-25Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
3. 2026-02-12Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
4. 2026-02-11House Passed/Adopted (House)
5. 2026-02-11House Third Readers (House)
6. 2026-01-29House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
7. 2026-01-12House Second Readers (House)
8. 2025-04-04House First Readers (House)

• Alan Powell (R, HD-033)Primary sponsor
• William Werkheiser (R, HD-157)
• Steve Tarvin (R, HD-002)
• Rick Jasperse (R, HD-011)
• Lauren McDonald (R, HD-026)
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 11, 2026

   166 yea, 3 nay (1 not voting, 5 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #502

• coin operated amusement machines
• Georgia Lottery Corporation
• gambling regulation
• licensing disputes
• arcade games