Ontario government pledges up to $50 million over 3 years to tracks losing slots

by | 06.07.2012 | 1:08pm
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The Ontario government announced its plan for transitional funding on Thursday by saying it would provide up to $50 million over the course of three years to help racetracks in the province cope with the loss of slot machine revenue, reports the Daily Racing Form. The exact nature of the funding will not be known until later this summer after consultations with industry leaders and three former provincial cabinet members. Employment Ontario will help workers displaced by the loss of slots and closure of racetracks find training and new jobs.

“We take this as an indication that the government is recognizing the value that our industry brings to Ontario’s agricultural economy and to the public in general,” Sue Leslie, president of Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association, said in a press release.

The OHRIA has created a task force to help develop a proposal to create a sustainable industry.

» Read more at Daily Racing Form
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  • Jsikura

    Woodbine spends tens of millions retro fitting their facility and the government of Ontario gets 80% of the slot revenue. The horsemen and racetrack each retain 10% and its call a ‘subisdy’ to the industry. It sounds more like prostitution with the pimp being the greedy government. You do all the work and give us 80% of the money, we want more. A model that was the envy to all of North America is now in jeopardy and the Ontario breeding and racing industry will be decimated. The logical alternative according to the government will be a foreign casino company taking profits out of the country and appease their request for a monopoly by shutting down slots at Woodbine. A complete abandonment of an historic industry by self serving short sighted politicians. New York may be next. jgs

  • Robb

    So that’s it, huh?  Give them $50 million basically to shut down, though that’s not what they’re saying.  In reality, Ontario racing is royally screwed without the slot money.  What else are they going to do to survive?  

    What a terrible job by the Ontario government.

  • http://Bellwether4u.com James Staples

    NO ONE N NORTH AMERCIA GETS IT BABY!!!…”THE GAME” HAS NO FACE…GET IT???…

  • McGov

    I agree with the simile…the government of Ontario has been pimping for some time now.

  • Bryan Langlois (ShelterDoc)

    “We take this as an indication that the government is recognizing the value that our industry brings to Ontario’s agricultural economy and to the public in general,”

    If they recognized the value of the industry to begin with….they never would have done what they did with the funding.  Politicians are like pavlovian trained dogs…someone jingles some change and money that is just sitting there….and they can’t control the drooling…

  • Jordanlay

    I wish the Conservatives and NDP would press the Liberals on what % a foreign casino company would take out.

  • Kris

    This is a hard and bitter lesson for all racetracks that have slots-enhanced purses.  Ontario has/had one of the best, if not the best programs in North America and now it seems it is gone.  I sincerely hope the folks in Ontario, who rely on their racing and breeding industry, land on their feet.  

  • Convene

     Economics 101 up here! What can I tell you? It’s not hockey so they don’t care! Maybe they could make a bunch of money adding 80% to ticket sales etc. for hockey games! How well do you think that would go over?

  • Bob Hope

    obviously we are dealing with a government that has limited knowledge of what horse racing has done for Canada, let alone Ontario.  A government that is devoid of history;
    a government that is welching on a long term arrangement to balance the threat of impropriety and absurdity.  While we can’t conceive of how the agreement was severed, nor can we understand the illegality and failure to deal in good faith as a result of a serious lapse of judgment in allowing for such a result by the previous negotiators, let’s pledge to rid ourselves of such shortsighted impostors. 

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