Like many in the Ontario standardbred racing industry, Hec Clouthier has been present to witness the positive effects the introduction of slot machines has had

in the province. The New Brunswick government has opted for a similar route in the Maritimes, and Clouthier has gone on the record as saying that the move is a big step in the right direction.

"It will be without a doubt the best thing that has happened to the horse racing industry in New Brunswick," Clouthier, executive director of the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association, was quoted as saying in an article by the New Brunswick Business Journal.

"Before the slots, there's no question that the horse racing industry wasn't doing very well in Ontario and there were a number of factors," Clouthier said about the Ontario industry, which has seen an increase in purses and industry employment since the introduction of the machines.

Though Clouthier has trumpeted the move as a step in the right direction, he cautions that watchful eyes should be monitoring the outcome to make sure all is on course. "The influx of new money will present some challenges, so it's important that officials keep an eye on things and there should certainly be some benchmarking put in place to show whether this is actually improving the industry," he said.

Click here to the read the New Brunswick Business Journal article in its entirety.

(With files from New Brunswick Business Journal)