A small group of House and Senate members continues to try to reach a compromise on a bill to put video gaming machines under the purview of the Georgia Lottery.

The bill is being touted by Gov. Nathan Deal as a way to generate money for the HOPE Scholarship while targeting illegal gambling operations that offer cash payouts.

The Georgia Lottery would get five percent of the proceeds at first and then eventually up to 10 percent.  The machines would be hooked up through a centralized network that could be monitored.  Lottery tickets could also be given as prizes.

But the measure is drawing opposition from a coalition of conservatives groups. Tanya Ditty, with Concerned Women of America, believes it will lead to an expansion of gambling in Georgia.
 
"I don't think we need to be running the HOPE Scholarship on gaming," she says.

But Jim Tudor with the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores says it puts legitimate operators on a level playing field.

"We believe since we have to compete against this currently, that it certainly should help in terms of bringing some regulation into the marketplace," he tells WSB's Sandra Parrish.

The Senate amended the bill to allow local jurisdictions to decide whether or not to allow the machines.  The House promptly disagreed with the changes.

A compromise must be worked out if the bill is to pass by Thursday, the final day of the session.