Slots at Racetracks Program Ends March 31

A year ago this month, the Ontario Liberal government announced they would be ending the Slots at Racetracks program as a part of a restructuring involving the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.

Now, with the horse racing industry in flux, the program is officially set to end March 31, 2013.

Some of the first cuts to local slots saw the Windsor Raceway and Hiawatha in Sarnia close. Windsor, which is the parent track of Dresden, shut down operations at the end of last season.

The original OLG release last spring stated that the plan aimed to “Stop annual payments to the horse racing industry by ending the Slots at Racetracks program on March 31, 2013, and allowing slot facilities to be located more strategically.”

Much talk about new slot and casino locations has had to do with large urban destinations such as Toronto.

Conversely, the Provincial opposition Conservative party, recently released their own document regarding the horse racing industry called “A Better Path Forward for Horse Racing.”

This document, spearheaded by local MPP Monte McNaughton, stated “Horse racing must be a key component of Ontario’s gaming strategy. The government should cancel the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation plan to abandon racetrack slots and spend money on new casinos. Instead, we will build partnerships with the horse racing industry, allowing it to thrive.”

Local media outlets across Chatham-Kent and Southwestern Ontario have been reporting varying stories regarding the fate of Dresden Raceway in recent weeks. Continue to follow CKSN for more news as this story develops.