Phil Murphy

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed legislation that will extend the $20 million annual purse enhancement for horse racing in the state, with the appropriation now running through to 2029, the Governor's office announced Friday. Monmouth Park will receive $10 million annually for purses, with the remaining $10 million going toward purses at the Meadowlands Racetrack and Freehold Raceway, as well as money earmarked for bonuses for state-sired horses and breeders' awards. "Given the critical importance of the horse racing industry to not only the state's economy, but to...

Construction on a trackside sportsbook and entertainment complex began with a ceremonial groundbreaking at Monmouth Park Tuesday which featured representatives from the New Jersey racetrack, Caesars Sportsbook, and local dignitaries who planted golden shovels in the ground to mark the occasion. The state-of-the-art facility and full-service restaurant combo is set to open in 2025, featuring 16,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor sports viewing with wall-to-wall flat screen televisions, food from nationally known restaurant partner Shake Shack, and more than 25 self-service betting kiosks. "We are proud to continue investing...

After a $20 million purse subsidy that was used to bolster purses at New Jersey's Thoroughbred and Standardbred tracks was left out of an initial budget proposal from Governor Phil Murphy, lawmakers have approval a final budget that will include a $15 million subsidy for the 2021 racing season. The money will be divided evenly between the two breeds. "I am pleased that the governor has seen fit to give us back 15 of the $20 million that is going to go support purses next year," said Dennis Drazin, Chairman...

A $32.4-billion budget proposal announced Tuesday by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy does not include a $20-million annual subsidy that has been split between the state's Thoroughbred and harness industries. The story was first reported by the website njonlinegambling.com. The subsidy was signed into law in 2019 as a way to help New Jersey's struggling tracks, the only tracks in the region that did not benefit from revenues from casinos. The bill called for $100 million in subsidies to be paid out over five years but also had a provision...