Will gamblers have to hold their bets longer than expected in New Jersey?

The plan was for the state legislature to vote Thursday — their next day in session — in favor of the sports betting bill and then to send it to Gov. Phil Murphy for his expected signature on Friday.

Monmouth Park was hoping to be taking bets as early as Friday evening, in time for the first Mets-Yankees game of the season.

But now there is some question whether the governor will sign it quickly or use it for political capital.

Politico reported Monday night that Murphy planned to use his signing as leverage to sway some legislators during difficult budget negotiations with the state senate.

Also Murphy was said to want to include fees to the sports leagues in the bill since their are now no fees, sources said.

However, on Tuesday sources close to the situation said they believed Murphy would not delay sports betting.

“I think the pressure on him to sign it is greater than any leverage he might have on the budget,” a NJ veteran political insider who is not on either side of the issue said. “It’s about jobs at Monmouth Park and Atlantic City.”

Monmouth has already hired about 50 people to handle its sports book, and is hoping to hire another 65 or so if it gets enough customers, Dennis Drazin who operates Monmouth told The Post.

“I don’t think the governor is going to hold up sports betting. There would be a public outcry.”

Murphy’s office did not return calls for comment.

The delay in Trenton allowed Delaware — through its three casinos — to become the first state to take wagers since the US Supreme Court ruled that the ban on sports betting was unconstitutional.

That is despite New Jersey being the state that successfully sued the sports leagues making sports betting possible.

In New York, the expectation is the four upstate casinos will be permitted in the coming weeks to take sports bets, but not to take mobile bets, or to open New York City betting parlors, a source said.