Topeka ? Senate President Steve Morris said Friday that legislators might revisit the gambling law enacted last year with an eye toward lowering the state’s take from slot machines at race tracks.

“It would be a source of revenue that we evidently aren’t going to get unless we make some modifications,” said Morris, R-Hugoton.

Legislators face a $137 million budget deficit in the fiscal year that ends June 30. The shortfall will have to be offset by cutting spending, increasing revenue or both.

Owners of three race tracks that have closed because of financial problems say they need a bigger percentage of slot machine revenues to make reopening worthwhile. When the law authorizing slot machines at the tracks was approved last year, the state estimated its take at $80 million, but the national economic downturn has lowered that projection.

The law assigns a maximum 40 percent of slot revenues to the tracks, with the state getting 40 percent and the remaining 20 percent going to local governments and to various funds to help horses, dogs, small tracks and problem gamblers.

Morris’ comments came as owners of the three closed tracks urged state regulators Friday to let them keep their licenses until they’ve had a chance to lobby legislators to change the law.

They spoke at a hearing of the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission on revoking the licenses of the Woodlands in Kansas City, Kan., owned by Howard Grace and the Grace family, and Wichita Greyhound Park in Sedgwick County and Camptown Greyhound Park in Frontenac, both owned by Phil Ruffin.

After the hearing, the commission asked attorneys for the tracks to submit briefs within two weeks on legal points that came up. Commission chairwoman Carol Sader said a ruling would be issued by Dec. 8.