The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has announced that in light of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, all active horseperson licences will be extended for one year.

According to the AGCO, the extension reflects the fact that those licences renew on an individual’s actual birth date. Also, given the seasonal nature of horse racing, horse person licences that have expired within the last six months will also be renewed for one year, subject to any rulings or other regulatory requirements.

The contents of the AGCO release on the matter, which contains complete details, appear below.

In light of the extraordinary measures being taken by the Government of Ontario to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AGCO has announced that it will extend the term of all active liquor, gaming and cannabis licences, authorizations and registrations it has issued by three months.

In the case of horse racing, all horseperson licences will be extended for one year, to reflect the fact that those licences renew on an individual’s actual birth date. Also, given the seasonal nature of horse racing, horse person licences that have expired within the last six months will also be renewed for one year, subject to any rulings or other regulatory requirements.

In all cases, licensees do not need to do anything. Existing licences will simply remain in effect for the extended period identified above, at no additional cost. As usual, you will receive a renewal reminder notification 60 days before your new, extended term expires.
Event based permits such as Special Occasion Permits will be managed on a case by case basis, so please contact the AGCO if you have questions about a cancelled or postponed event for which an application has been made or permit has been issued.

We are making this change through our iAGCO online system in the coming days. By next week you will be able to log into your iAGCO account and print your revised licence, registration or authorization, which will reflect the new extended expiry date.
If you do not currently have an iAGCO account, you will need an Access Code to create one. To obtain your access code, please contact AGCO Customer Service at 416-326-8700 or toll free 1-800-522-2876 during regular business hours.

We are certainly aware of the toll the outbreak of this virus is taking on the businesses, individuals and families that are affected by it. We know many of our licensees are coming up for renewal and yet are living through a period of closures, reduced operations and lay-offs. We trust this extension will ease one burden you face during these challenging times.

Stay well.

Please continue to monitor the Government of Ontario’s dedicated website Ontario.ca/coronavirus for the latest information.