Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation

OEF Thanks MPP Lisa MacLeod

The Ontario Equestrian Federation has issued a thank you letter to MPP Lisa MacLeod, on behalf of Ontario’s equine community, for calling on the Auditor General to review the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s plans and its impact on the horse racing industry. Read the letter here.

Ontario Horse Racing Rally at Queen’s Park August 30th

Supporters of the Ontario horse racing industry are encouraged to attend a rally on August 30th led by Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod at Queen’s Park in Toronto. MPP MacLeod has strongly opposed the elimination of the slots at racetracks program and has spoken out passionately in support of the horse racing industry and rural Ontario, […]

Casino Bidder Under Investigation

With the demise of the slots at racetracks program, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) announced their “Modernization Strategy” for gaming in the province. Their goal is to bring gaming and entertainment together on a larger scale at multiple locations to boost revenue. As such, they have begun a Request For Proposal process to […]

Status Update: Horse Racing in Ontario

Since the Ontario government’s announcement regarding the termination of the Slots At Racetracks (SAR) Program I have been in personal contact with many of our members and would like to thank those of whom I have spoken with for expressing your views and for your support during these challenging times. For the past three months […]

Premier McGuinty Responds to Ontario Racing Industry

In June, RacingFuture.com sent an open letter to Premier Dalton McGuinty regarding the end of the slots-at-racetracks program – https://canadianthoroughbred.com/horse-news/racingfuture-com-sends-open-letter-to-premier/ Read the Premier’s response here.

Senator Bob Runciman Fights Against End of Slots

Ontario Conservative Senator Bob Runciman will carry his fight against the McGuinty government’s plans to throw at least 30,000 Ontarians out of work to Georgian Downs in Innisfil later this month. Runciman will be at the harness-racing track along with Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop to draw attention to the negative economic impacts and significant […]

RacingFuture.com Sends Open Letter to Premier

Open Letter to Premier Dalton McGuinty from RacingFuture.com Dear Premier McGuinty, Your government has announced that it will pull its slot machines from Ontario race tracks, abruptly canceling a 14-year partnership that has been helping our province’s horse breeding and racing industry to make the transition from the 20th Century to the 21st. I am […]

2012 Queen’s Plate May be the Last

In a speech to launch the 153rd running of the Queen’s Plate, Nick Eaves, President and CEO of Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) announced that this may be the last year for this iconic Canadian horse race.  The Queen’s Plate is the oldest annual sporting event in Canada. “Earlier this year the Ontario Government made the […]

OHRIA Submission to Ontario Finance Committee

The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA) was granted deputation in front of Ontario’s Standing Committee of Finance and Economic Affairs on June 6th, where they presented a submission, which is available here. The charts contained on pages 6- 8 peaked the interest of the committee.  The charts indicate that the Slots at Racetracks Program […]

The State of Horse Racing in Ontario

Many may have already heard that 2012 will be the final season of racing at Fort Erie Racetrack. The Board of the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium (FELRC) of which the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association of Ontario (HBPA) is a member has worked diligently to reinvigorate the racetrack since taking over management of it […]

New Ontario Racing Task Force

In light of the government’s announcement to terminate the existing Slots at Racetracks Program, the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA) has struck a Task Force to develop a plan and enter into a dialogue with government that will result in a viable and successful horse racing and breeding industry in Ontario. The Task Force […]

Pro-Racing Ad in the Toronto Star

Ed James, owner of SSG Gloves, and the leading Standardbred owner at Grand River Raceway for 2011, took out a full-page ad in Monday’s edition of the Toronto Star, questioning the recent attack on the horse racing industry by the Liberal government and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. The ad, asking Ontarians to examine […]

Bill C76 Passes Second Reading

MPP Monte McNaughton’s private members’ bill C76 passed with a vote of 57/19 on May 3rd in the Ontario Legislature.  The bill, which requires referendums in municipalities before any new gaming sites can be established, now goes before the Standing Committee on Finance and then to a third and final vote. This bill is important as […]

Slots-at-Racetracks Program Update

The Ontario budget, passed April 24th, puts an end to the slots-at-racetracks program, operated by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) on March 31, 2013. The provincial budget was passed with all 52 Liberal members of Parliament voting for and all 37 Progressive Conservative members voting against. The New Democratic Party (NDP) abstained, not […]

“Fight For Our Future” Highlights Impact of the Loss of Slots-at-Racetracks

The Canadian Sportsman has produced a special 24-page pullout section in their magazine, called “Fight For Our Future.” It documents the stories of real people impacted by the cancellation of Ontario’s slots-at-racetracks program.   They have printed extra copies of the document, which have been sent to as many people, including politicians, bureaucrats and other […]