The bill passed last week by the Finance and Public Utilities Committee had sought merely to impose tougher restrictions on an industry that has grown quickly in Georgia, especially in border counties, since it was outlawed in South Carolina.

But by a margin of 42-2, senators amended the measure to ban machines that pay out in cash or prizes, while allowing a long list of games typically found in mall game rooms, arcades and some restaurants, including Skeeball, coin-operated pool tables and pinball machines.

The underlying bill then passed unanimously. It now goes to the House.

In leading the fight for the amendment, Sen. Mike Beatty described video poker as the ``crack cocaine'' of gambling for its addictive power. He said the industry has been particularly harmful in his district, where a recent Georgia Bureau of Investigation sting impounded 500 machines and $200,000 cash, proceeds from a single weekend.

``I could share with you dozens of stories of homes lost, families suffering, children hurting,'' said Beatty, R-Jefferson.

``The only people who win at the game are the owners of the machines, and they're making a ton of money,'' added Sen. Tommie Williams, R-Lyons. ``Are we going to look after them? Is that our role?''

Richmond County District Attorney Danny Craig, who has been a vocal opponent of video poker, said an elated Mr. Beatty phoned him with the news just after he left the Senate floor. Unlike states with legalized gambling, Georgia would have been completely unequipped to regulate the machines, and the industry was poised to take advantage of that, Mr. Craig said.

``I think this is probably the most important piece of legislation to come out of this session in the fight against crime and organized crime in Georgia,'' Mr. Craig said.

Mr. Beatty and his supporters also argued that money spent by Georgians on video poker is siphoned away from another form of gambling, the state lottery. As a result, they said tolerating video poker in Georgia takes money away from HOPE scholarships and the state's pre-kindergarten program, both lottery-funded.

But Sen. Mike Polak, the underlying bill's sponsor, wasn't convinced that the language in Beatty's amendment would protect the kinds of amusement games found at businesses like Chuck E. Cheese and Dave & Buster's.

``You'll impact a lot of honest people and hurt good places,'' said Mr. Polak, D-Atlanta.

Mr. Polak said that focusing the legislation on certain types of machines was missing the point.

``Our goal is to put the criminals out of business, the bad guys who are making cash payouts, not blame a certain machine,'' he said.

The Senate also passed two amendments proposed by Mr. Polak, including one that would allow counties to impose age restrictions on players.

Reach Dave Williams at (404) 589-8424.