Andrew: In support of OHHA's position on Flamboro Downs

Published: August 26, 2019 09:57 pm EDT

On behalf of the Alberta Standardbred Horse Association I am writing to support OHHA in their effort to bring Great Canadian Gaming to their senses regarding the imposition of restrictive admission practices at Flamboro Downs.

The heart of any sports franchise is the fan base. Most sports put extra effort into accommodating and growing attendance for families and young people who represent the future fan base. Great Canadian's decision to make racing accessible to adults only destroys this effort and signals a lack of interest in the future of live racing and fans who enjoy live racing.

We believe that AGCO and the Government of Ontario should act in the best interests of racing and support Ontario families and young people who enjoy an afternoon or evening at the horse races.

Great Canadian, who benefit from what was originally the SAR program, believes they can arbitrarily block families from attending the races in any degree of comfort. What is next except the inevitable conclusion from the push that Great Canadian continues to make to downplay live racing and racing fans while focussing almost solely on the racetrack casinos.

Bill Andrew

President,
ASHA


The views presented in Trot Blogs are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Standardbred Canada.

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