by SUSAN MANN
An association representing the province’s harness horse owners and workers is disappointed the Ontario ombudsman won’t investigate the government’s decision to end the slot revenue sharing program.
Brian Tropea, general manager of the Ontario Harness Horse Association, says “we were hoping they were going to investigate. There’s reason to believe there are some questionable decisions being made throughout the gaming modernization.” Tropea says his association was one of the groups that filed a complaint with the ombudsman.
Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin announced Tuesday his office received more than 350 complaints. The high volume of complaints and the serious concerns complainants raised prompted him to “assign a team of investigators to conduct an in depth assessment of the complaints and issues.”
But in a letter to all those who expressed concerns, Marin says the government’s decision “was a matter of broad public policy, and not the type of decision that would normally be subject to scrutiny by the ombudsman.” He did acknowledge, though, that the government’s decision last March to end the slot revenue sharing program, called Slots at Racetracks, has created enormous uncertainly in the horse racing industry.
Under the slot revenue sharing program ending March 31, 10 per cent of the money went to increasing horse racing purses, a further 10 per cent went to the tracks, five per cent went to the municipality where the track is located and 75 per cent went to the Ontario government. With the new program, slots will be at tracks but tracks will just receive money through lease agreements.
Tropea says there still may be an opportunity to have the government’s decision independently reviewed. Last August a motion proposed by Progressive Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod (Nepean-Carleton) was passed at Queen’s Park requesting the auditor general review the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s gaming modernization plans.
In another development, a motion proposed by New Democratic Party MPP Taras Natyshak (Essex) requests that changes to the Slots at Racetracks program be frozen until after municipal elections next year to give municipalities time to hold referendums on election ballots on whether they want to host casinos. Tropea says that motion is to be debated at Queen’s Park later this month. BF
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an online visitor replied on Permalink
The writing has been on the wall for years.
For many years I was involved in the race horse business. I saw the declines in attendance over 50 years and when the slots came the entire industry saw it as their lifeline. I saw infighting amoung horsemen and tracks over every dollar for decades, instead of collectively expanding their brand to the public as did pro wrestling, football and many other sports. When betting became legal on all sports horse racing lost their edge as an outlet for gambling. Since the slots have been subsidizing horse racing it has become obvious it is much easier and more profitable to run a casino than a track with upkeep and maintenance. The horsemen have been carried by the slots for years and everyone with any insight could see the racetracks were going to rid themselves of horse racing as soon as possible. It seems the slots have finally got themselves a parliament that is more interested in monetary returns than keeping a long standing industry in operation. Pulling a slot every 10 seconds is far more exciting than waiting 20 minutes between races for the average person going out for an evening of fun and for the gamblers the action is there. Sorry horsemen, but the writing has been on the wall for a long time. You spent your time infighting over every dollar instead of looking at the big picture. The slots have carried you long enough and progress is swallowing up another bit of history. I loved the horses and it is sad but it is just another reflection of our modern day society. It's too much work to clean out a stall and get some exercise. Now it's the norm to sit all day and look at a screen. No wonder medicare has risen. The sport of kings doesn't make enough money and in todays world it's all about the money. So sad.
Larry Moore
Former Standardbred breeder and trainer.
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