HARRISBURG -- State legislators may try to convert the seventh and final racetrack/casino license into a non-racetrack slot machine license, the second-ranking Democrat in the House said yesterday.

"It's under consideration, but we haven't made a final decision," said Rep. Mike Veon of Beaver Falls. "I am exploring every option."

Act 71 of 2004, the slots law, calls for 14 casinos statewide: seven racetrack/casinos, five stand-alone or non-track casinos, and two resort hotel casinos. That lineup could be changed to six racetrack and six non-track casinos, plus the two hotel casinos.

So far, six racetracks have applied for a slots license from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, but there has been a delay in the application for the seventh and final racetrack license. Two would-be tracks, one in Beaver County and one in Lawrence County, have been competing for a racing license from the state Harness Racing Commission. Getting a racing license would let the recipient apply for a track casino license.

Mr. Veon said that if a sixth non-track slots license were created, he would try to make sure that both Beaver and Lawrence counties have a chance to get that stand-alone license.

"If there is a reversion in the type of slots license [from racetrack to non-track], it should be allowed for only Beaver or Lawrence County," he said. "It's important that both be given the opportunity. [The new non-track license] should benefit Western Pennsylvania."

Limiting contenders to Beaver and Lawrence counties would require legislation, however, and probably would face opposition from other parts of the state.

Converting the final racetrack/casino license to a stand-alone license likely would have to be done this week. The Legislature faces a deadline to enact a new state budget by Saturday, the start of the new fiscal year, and then plans to recess until fall.

Some legislators are crafting a multipage amendment to the 2004 slots law, but Mr. Veon said he's not sure if it will come up for action before the end of the week. A provision to change the seventh racetrack/casino license into a stand-alone casino license could be contained in that amendment.

In November, the state Harness Racing Commission rejected the racing applications of Bedford Downs, the proposed Lawrence County racetrack, and Valley View Downs, the would-be Beaver County track.

Last week, Commonwealth Court ordered the commission to reconsider the Bedford Downs application, but not Valley View's, an action that upset Mr. Veon because Valley View is in his House district.

Lawrence County officials are worried that Mr. Veon, by converting the final racetrack/casino license into a stand-alone license, is really just trying to keep alive Beaver County's chances for getting a slots parlor.

Under the 2004 slots law, any town in Pennsylvania could compete for the sixth stand-alone license. But Mr. Veon said he definitely thinks that any new stand-alone parlor should go in Western Pennsylvania.

If the Legislature does debate the amendments to the slots law, he'll try to limit that additional non-track slots license to either Beaver or Lawrence County.