But a confusing vote in the House, on which representatives approved amendments that would make prizes from gambling games both legal and illegal, had lawmakers shaking their heads well into the process.

``Don't feel bad if you're confused,'' House Speaker Tom Murphy told one representative during a debate on the issue. ``Everyone in here is confused.''

At issue was whether to toughen laws against illegally using video poker games for gambling or to ban the games outright.

Late in the evening, the Senate was expected to either agree with the changes made by the House or insist on its version, which would send the issue to a committee from both chambers.

Earlier in the session, the Senate voted for a bill with amendments, sponsored by Sen. Mike Beatty, R-Jefferson, that would ban video poker games entirely.

In the House, a committee removed the amendments, returning to a bill backed by the gaming industry that would toughen laws against illegal gambling but effectively keep the games legal.

But on Wednesday, representatives approved apparently conflicting amendments. One said gambling-style games could give merchandise worth no more than $5, while another said they could be used only for amusement and give only free replays.

Current state law outlaws cash payouts from the games and prohibits them from giving prizes worth more than $5. But critics, including Augusta Judicial Circuit District Attorney Danny Craig, say the law is routinely ignored and hard to enforce.

Critics say anything short of an outright ban would give machine owners a chance to find loopholes to continue illegal gambling.

``Any time we pass regulations or something that sort of halfway prohibits something, people go to work trying to find ways around it,'' said Rep. Bob Irvin, R-Atlanta. ``The more money's at stake, the harder they work.

But supporters of the House bill - which would provide tougher penalties for illegal gambling and give local governments more control over how many games businesses could have - said a ban would punish honest businessmen in an effort to get rid of the dishonest ones.

``What we're trying to do ... is not throw the baby out with the bath water,'' said Rep. Calvin Smyre, D-Macon, whose committee changed the Senate version of the bill.

In the 2001 budget, the General Assembly approved about $110,000 for a four-member Georgia Bureau of Investigation unit to investigate and end illegal use of the machines. The unit would go into effect in July.

Reach Doug Gross at (404) 589-8424 or mnews@mindspring.com.