The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority is expected to approve an agreement to add 15 off-track betting parlors throughout the state during a special meeting on Thursday afternoon.Currently, the only betting facilities available to New Jersey racing fans exist in Atlantic City casinos and at the Meadowlands, Monmouth Park, Freehold Raceway, and Atlantic City Race Course.

Nine of the 15 parlors would be operate by the sports authority, which runs Monmouth and the Meadowlands, in the northern part of the state. Atlantic and Cape May counties would receive two betting outlets to be operated by Greenwood Racing Inc., the owner of Philadelphia Park and formerly Garden State Park, which has been closed. No off-track betting facilities would be offered in Atlantic City, the Associated Press reports.

Four other parlors would be opened in the Philadelphia suburban area and operated by Pennwood Racing Inc., owner of Philadelphia Park.

Many in the Thoroughbred industry hope the proceeds from the OTBs will be used to increase purses at Monmouth and the Meadowlands.

Dennis Drazin, attorney and spokesman for the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, stated that only $6-million of the $25-million in dedicated simulcast revenues from the Meadowlands went to Thoroughbred purses last year compared to $19-million doled out to Standardbred racing.