A fix worth betting on

Why is it that, after casino gambling has been contemplated for years, it’s about to unravel behind closed doors among legislators who are obviously way over their heads?

To achieve a compromise, some seemingly impossible things have to happen. Bob DeLeo, the House speaker, has to put the state’s interests ahead of Suffolk Downs’s interests, and it’s not clear he’s capable of doing that. Senate president Therese Murray has to drop a few of the thousands of grudges she gallantly carries every day of her life.

DeLeo wants the state’s four racetracks to get licenses to open as slot parlors. Deval Patrick, the governor, and Murray, don’t want any slot parlors at all. They want two or three destination casinos.

Allow me to offer just a few recommendations that could have this resolved by sundown.

First off, Suffolk Downs has to decide what it wants to be: a slot parlor or a full-scale resort casino. It has no right to accept a slot license while it pursues a casino license. It creates an unfair playing field that will inhibit other bidders and cost the state millions of dollars.

Right now, Suffolk Downs has employed just about every lobbyist and political strategist in town to convince the Legislature that its predominantly out-of-state ownership should be given a slot license first and a casino license later.

The slot license, you see, will allow them to generate a huge annual income that can be used to self-finance a resort-style casino. The problem with this is that every potential gaming developer in America thinks that the fix is in for Suffolk Downs, and this is deflating the potential value of a casino license. Companies won’t get involved if they think it’s already a done deal.

So, Suffolk Downs, what’s it going to be? Either take the slots and be grateful or bid on a casino license like every other potential developer. Your call.

Second, Patrick and Murray have to knock off this ridiculous stand against slot parlors. That high ground is already flooded. But we don’t need a racino in all four tracks in the state. Wonderland has combined fortunes with Suffolk Downs, so that takes care of one. If it pursues the full gaming license, it takes care of it even further. Give them until the weekend to decide.

Beyond that, we need one slot parlor strategically located to drive Twin River, the teetering slot venue in Rhode Island, out of business. This means that George Carney, the owner of the Raynham dog track, and Gary Piontkowski, the president of the Plainridge Racecourse (harness racing), have to combine forces.

I did something that nobody from Boston has ever done before. I drove down to Plainridge this week. Yes, in Plainville. Ends up, it’s not that far away.

I knocked on Piontkowski’s door and found him to be a reasonable and honorable guy. Of course, that was until I urged him to form an alliance with Carney, accept a license for one slot parlor in Raynham, and split the revenue down the middle. He looked like he had just been kicked by a mare.

“There’s a history between Mr. Carney and I, as you have probably heard,’’ he said. Actually, I heard they hate each other’s guts, but I suggested money could solve a lot of problems. “Yes, but not all problems,’’ he said.

Plainridge isn’t exactly Churchill Downs, and slot licenses aren’t gifts, despite what DeLeo apparently thinks. So I wouldn’t look half ownership in the mouth.

Third, create two districts for bidding on full licenses, the east and the west or however anybody wants to configure it. Award two licenses to the highest bidders with the best likelihood of financing major destination casinos. And create a gaming commission that will regulate these places to the ends of the earth.

There you have it: two resorts and one or two slot parlors. This isn’t that complicated. It’s only the Legislature that’s making it that way.

Brian McGrory is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at mcgrory@globe.com.