Murphy ultimately signed the measure in private without the fanfare of a press conference, though he may join a ceremony later this week when the first bets are placed. Sources also said the governor was considering using the bill as leverage in his budget negotiations with legislative leaders, but he appears to have decided against doing so. The former track is now the site of a high-end retail and residential complex developed by Jack Morris and Joseph Marino, who have ties to South Jersey Democratic power broker George Norcross. POLITICO reported Monday that the governor’s staff had reservations about part of the bill written to allow sports betting at the former site of Garden State Park Racetrack in Cherry Hill - a horse racing track that was closed in 2001. Murphy took several days to act on the legislation, saying on Friday that his people needed to give a close review and prompting an outcry from both Democrats and Republicans eager to getting betting up and running. Both houses of the state Legislature passed the bill, NJ A 4111 (18R), in unanimous votes on Thursday, putting New Jersey in position to be the second state to permit athletic wagering following last month’s landmark Supreme Court ruling.
