Ms McBride, thank you for the support.

It is amazing that horseman just want to shove this slots thing down my throat here, and completely ignore that I bring up other juridictions that do not have them and do very well. I named quite a few, and Mr Hill and Mr Adler reply with Yonkers, in the biggest city in North America. Of course it works there. Compare that with say...... leamington, or Kawartha, where there is populations that are comparable to some city blocks near Yonkers. What works there, does not always work financially in the small centers. To even suggest that we can have that in places like Sarnia or Woodstock or Hamilton even, are outlandish.

I love Rideau, but slots in Ottawa are always gonna be dominated by Lac Lemy or even the bars in QC. It will ensure racing in Ottawa and provide stability, but it wont improve it sadly. The business model there needs to re-invent itself. Losing all the off track betting had to hurt. With the track being so far out of the way for the non-driving race fans, quality off track betting, or even looking at establishing a betting room and sharing profits with QC racing at Lac Lemy should be explored. The downtown casino idea was the best bet for a decent racebook was their best chance.

In response to your question if I bet on Ontario Harness..... the answer for the most part, is no. It is a waste of time for Win/Place/show bettors. A decent $50 bet usually knocks a few dimes off your price and makes it unbettable. I rarely invest more than $5 a race at Flamboro, Rideau, Kawartha or anywhere else other than London or Toronto where I usually spend 10 times that per race and try for the bigger wins in the exotics. Gambling is a large part of the business, and with so much of it being unbettable, there is little to lure racing fans. If you have to be one of maybe 5 ticket holders when a long shot wins at most of these tracks, the risk/reward does not make it attractive to most gamblers, which in turn, wont interest fans.

The general public won't want government money going to something it is not interested in.

Unless there is HUGE prizes or many decent sized prizes for fans to win, slots isn't the answer to improving the game in Ottawa, it will only sustain it.

There are things I disagree with Will about, but he speaks as a member of the public, a fan and possibly a customer (I don't know if you wager on our product or not Will). SARP was the golden goose to the industry as we all know. We all also know that there were so many things done wrong. Neither the tracks nor horsemen were held to any standards or accountability. Nothing was done to improve the facilities, the product or bring in new fans and customers. The optics of horse racing now being subsidized directly through the government vs slot revenues is a ticking time bomb, but the requirement put on the industry to take steps forward is a blessing in disguise. No business can be sustained without vision and forward thinking. Horse racing was a 150 year old industry being run like it's 1960 instead of 2017. THINGS HAVE TO CHANGE or we will not survive. Horse people have to stop thinking that the industry is entitled to public support because it generates agricultural economic churn that our government needs to respect. Start listening to people like Will, because he loves this industry enough to offer an opinion and suggestions. We need more people like him to speak up about what they want from our industry so we can respond and try to make them fans and customers. Rideau is my home track as well and I commend them for their support of horse racing through some very tough times and wish them every success in their bid for a casino. Not because I want the revenues to support racing, but because Rideau Carleton has a vision that includes horse racing. It's up to us to ensure our product deserves their support.

Marty, I wouldn't waste my time trying to talk sense to Mr Yamakva as it seems his only intent is to get a rise out of the horsemen, who he blames for for everything but the weather. No other business has the government as its only competition. Yonkers is a shining example of a properly run slot program.

It is not my intention to joust with someone who desires to make racing better., but some of your points need clarification.

1. Slots of the past was a partnership - and it worked. Today, it is a subsidy - and I am dead set against that and have written that it relays a bad perception to the public.

2. In the final years at Windsor, the last race always went to post before 11pm, and always on time - I know, I lived it!
If you want to read more about delayed post times, check out my thoughts on Woodbines post delays affecting horses on lasix.

3. With all due respect, Will, you need a lesson on "economic churn".

4. As for the wagering in this area, check out the day a year ago when Leamington bet more on-track than Mohawk!

5. Check out all the slots at just about every track in the US, and especially yesterday's announcement at Yonkers - another purse increase. Yonkers, by the way, fashioned its slots program after the Ontario model of the past.

We can go back and forth on this subject, but let's not lose the fact that I responded to this story because I supported the efforts of Rideau Carelton - your track - to make things better!

Will, I cannot tell you how out of touch you are with this topic.

Windsor was the second best wagering track, behind Toronto, in the province.

Horsemen provided economic churn that most governments drool over!

Slots and casinos in this province would never have been accepted if it would not have been for the brick and mortar racetracks.

Whatever your business is, there is government assistance.

Statements made by you, compare apples with oranges, or, in your case.....lemons!

And... can we put the same caveat on the horseman? They have to put a large part of the profits they make towards racing and improving the product. By that I do not mean buying new horses or what not, but chipping in with the improvement of the fan experience? Buy new toteboards, pay for races to be broadcast on cable, pay for our programs, stuff like that?

Easy to ask others to spend their money on investing in your game, but why are you not expected to do the same? Remember, your group shot down the idea that a small percent be introduced for reinvesting in the game.

Marty.... "ONLY sustainable model"?

New Zealand, most of Europe, the UK, Japan racing, South African racing, all does well without slots and help from the government. Try watching HPI every morning and watch UK racing, or South African racing, and tell me how they are still in business without slots?

Horseman haven't revolutionized the game to sustain itself in Ontario (and lots of North America for that matter) and are forced to get handouts from slot rooms at their locations. Could you imagine if slots was not in your tracks? You would not just be talking about Windsor closing, but many other small tracks being shut down.

It is ironic you bring up Windsor, the track you called races at. Do you recall the handle most days? Terrible. There was often races where the purses were higher than the entire amount bet in the race. That is not a good business model. Show me other great business models where the revenue that pays the people that work there, is derived from nothing to do with the job they are doing? Do Bus drivers get paid with revenue that taxi drivers make? Do Ski shops get propelled by what the neighboring Sub shop makes? Does the pizza joint get a large share of what KFC next door makes to keep it afloat? In all cases, the answer was no. That is not a good business model, and not realistic.

People are choked Bombardier just got government money to keep it afloat, why should you be any different? Why not shoot for the stars, and ask for some of the Lotto Max revenue or any other money the government might get from gamblers?

I love Rideau, its my closest track, but them running the slots is not going to bring more fans to the track. Whatever they will do should they get the slots, they should have done before it ever came to this.

Your comments lead me to believe you think this game is fine. I know you are going to dispute that, and no doubt there will be a ton of people going to give me a piece of their mind as well, but playing the "look at the jobs saved" thing, is another way of saying "give us the money and we will continue as we are".

As a business owner now, I want some slot revenue as well. Why do I not deserve it? It has nothing to do with my business..... but I want some as well.

Absolutely agree with RC proposal.

When will those in power admit that the slots at racetracks partnership of the past, worked.
It is the only sustainable model for racing, and the proof has already been established.

However, one of the caveats must be that the track owner must reinvest in its own facility providing "creature comforts" for, not only the fans, but the horsemen alike!

All involved must be held accountable for their role in the deal.

Had this been the case in 2012, the 450+ administration jobs (slots & racetrack) and countless race-related jobs, would have been saved at Windsor Raceway.

if they operate the slots is that going to help the racing part at Rideau