In a letter penned to the horse racing industry in British Columbia on Tuesday, Nov. 25,. the province's government revealed that the support racing received from expanded gaming will cease in 2026.

The letter was written and signed by Nina Krieger, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General for the Province of B.C., and sent to representatives from both the thoroughbred and harness racing sectors.

B.C. has traditionally hosted live racing at its two longstanding racetracks — Standardbred racetrack Fraser Downs and Thoroughbred host Hastings Park Racecourse. Fraser Downs closed abruptly earlier this year when the City of Surrey exercised its land recapture option under its lease agreement and terminated the lease for the racetrack property. The casino portion, Elements Casino Surrey, continues to operate.

In November, Tsleil-Waututh Nation finalized the purchase of the casino and the casino-related real property interests at Hastings from Great Canadian Entertainment — a deal that was previously announced in principle in June.

The contents of the letter appear below.

I am writing to advise that government has completed its review of the horse racing industry in B.C. ("the review"). While the review identified some economic, social and other benefits flowing from live horse racing in B.C., it also revealed significant concerns with its financial sustainability and ongoing viability despite revitalization efforts. Horse Racing BC's April 2025 Industry Plan presented a possible path forward for horse racing in B.C., but not without significant additional government funding over the next three years. In government's current fiscal situation, we are unable to support this additional funding request.

We also reviewed the practice of providing the horse racing industry with a share of net slot machine revenue from Hastings Casino and Elements Casino Surrey. Given the significant financial sustainability concerns revealed by the review, we have made the very difficult decision to stop providing net slot machine revenue to the industry as of January 31, 2026.

This decision has been made after careful analysis of the current economic impact and long-term projections for the industry, which have shown that even with significant and ongoing government investment from casino-generated revenue, the industry is not sustainable because of a range of factors, primarily declining revenues and public participation and attendance at horse racing events.

This is a challenging time for many sectors, individuals and families across B.C., especially in the current fiscal and economic climate, and I appreciate that this decision will have significant implications for the future of live horse racing in the province and for those who have invested in or work in the industry. Government supports are available for workers if needed, including income assistance through the BC Employment and Assistance Program, WorkBC Employment Services, and programs that help individuals improve their skills and find jobs.

Sincerely,
Nina Krieger
Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General

(Standardbred Canada)