HARRISBURG -- State gambling regulators have rejected legislators' calls to delay issuing slot machine licenses, saying they expect to issue licenses for racetrack casinos Sept. 27 and for non-track and resort hotel casinos Dec. 20.

Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Chairman Tad Decker said yesterday that delaying the granting of gaming licenses will merely delay much-needed property tax relief for homeowners and additional funding for horse owners, breeders, jockeys and trainers.

Some legislators, such as Sens. Jane Orie, R-McCandless, and Jeffrey Piccola, R-Dauphin, have urged the board not to issue any licenses before Oct. 30 at the earliest, in order to give the Legislature time to amend the 2-year-old slots law when it returns to work in late September.

But Mr. Decker and another gaming board member, Jeffrey Coy, told a news conference that more than two years have elapsed since the slots law was enacted in early July 2004. They said homeowners and horse owners have waited long enough for the financial benefits from expanded gaming.

"Why wait" to issue slots licenses? Mr. Decker asked. He said the Legislature "still has ample time" to amend the law this fall, before the board awards the non-racetrack and resort hotel slots licenses on Dec. 20.

He also said the racetrack/casino licenses to be awarded Sept. 27 will be conditional, or temporary, meaning in effect they'll be for no more than 18 months. The board also plans to issue permanent slots licenses to racetracks Dec. 20.

The Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association wrote to the gaming board yesterday, urging it not to delay issuing conditional racetrack casino licenses beyond Sept. 27.

"Move expeditiously" on the licenses, the group said. "[We] know firsthand the challenges faced by those engaged in thoroughbred racing in Pennsylvania. Neighboring states such as Delaware offer much more lucrative purses," a situation that will change when slots money is added to Pennsylvania racing prizes.

The board also repeated its intention to hold suitability hearings Sept. 11-12 in Harrisburg on six applications for racetrack casino licenses, including one from The Meadows in Washington County.

It will hold such hearings Oct. 25 for resort hotel slots licenses sought by Nemacolin Woodlands in Fayette County and Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Somerset County.

It will hold hearings Nov. 20-21 for the three Pittsburgh groups competing for one stand-alone casino license in Pittsburgh and for a group seeking a casino license for Gettysburg.

At the suitability hearings, Mr. Decker said, board members will grill slots license applicants about their character, their financial suitability to operate a casino, their operational capabilities, the positive and negative impacts that their slots parlor will have on their local community, their plans for hiring minority and women employees, and their plans for helping gambling addicts get help with their problem.

Ultimately, there are to be 14 casinos in Pennsylvania, seven at racetracks, five stand-alones -- one in Pittsburgh, two in Philadelphia and two somewhere else -- and two at resort hotels.