BOSTON -- Massachusetts House and Senate leaders are scrambling to hammer out a casino gambling bill so they can vote before the Legislature ends its formal session Saturday.

The bill will allow up to three destination resort-style casinos and two slot parlors. Officials estimate they will create 15,000 jobs. It's still uncertain who will be able to compete for the rights to the casinos.

"Even though we may have come to agreement on certain things, the decisions are not final," said Sen. Stanley Rosenberg. "We have a framework through which we can resolve all of the issues."

"I think the Legislature will come to something that we will all agree on and we will have to see what the governor does with it," Sen. Richard Ross said.

Gov. Deval Patrick said he is sympathetic to House Speaker Robert DeLeo's arguments to help track owners.

"I am very sensitive to the concern that the speaker has expressed for the people who work at tracks today, and I think there is a way to deal with that by giving them a preference for hiring at these new destination resort casinos," Patrick said.

While Patrick does not like the idea of giving track owners automatic rights to up to 750 slot machines, he suggested his position is not immovable since there are several other bills he wants the Legislature to release -- an economic development bill that includes a sales tax holiday, a CORI reform bill and legislation that helps small businesses deal with insurance costs.

"It would be very hard for me to think about any kind of compromise on the casino bill unless we were assured we'd get some final action on those other measures, as well," Patrick said.