Will Dresden Raceway Close Due to Provincial Cuts?

Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, in the opinion of those in the horse racing community, is putting thousands of jobs, and the sport of horse racing on the brink of collapse with his proposed $345 million cut to the allotment the horse racing industry receives each year from the Ontario Lottery and slots-at-racetrack partnerships.

In Chatham-Kent, this has the potential to directly impact the Dresden Raceway, which could soon find itself under extreme financial hardships without the support it was annually alloted from the on-site slots.

Experts are estimating that more than 60,000 Ontario residents are employed each year by the horse racing industry, including more than 7,000 in Southwestern Ontario.

Dresden’s history of horse racing has been present, playing a major role in the local economy, since the 1880s, with the first track being built in the early 1900s, followed by renovations and improvements in the 1980s.

Dresden Raceway is now operated in relation to Windsor Raceway, and the addition of the slots facility on site has improved race purses and provides financial stability to the facility.

As of April 2011, it was estimated that 1.9 million people have visited Dresden Raceway in the last decade. Financial contributions to the Municipality of Chatham-Kent from the Dresden slots is nearing $6 million in over the last decade.

Wide spread budget debates are expected in the coming weeks as the Provincial government re-visits their deficit. Continue to follow CKSN.ca for updates on this situation involving Dresden Raceway.