Ontario's mainstream media outlets are continuing to put pressure on the Liberal government in regard to the proceeds the Ontario racing industry receives via its gaming contract with the government
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The Ontario Liberal Government, on the heels of its widely controversial Drummond Report, has recommended reneging on its economically beneficial slots-at-racetrack contractual agreement with the province's racetracks. The pact, which has allowed the provincial government to rake in over $1-billion in annual revenue, has seen the Ontario racetrack industry receive a significantly lesser cut while hosting the machines which cannibalize racing's customer base. (The Ontario Government annually receives $261-million in direct taxes from the Ontario horse-racing industry).
Although clear-cut slots-at-racetracks contracts are in place, Ontario's Finance Minister, Dwight Duncan, has chosen to characterize the agreed-upon revenue split as a 'subsidy,' a blatant misrepresentation which has enraged both industry leaders and highly-regarded members of the mainstream media.
The Ontario horse-racing industry, which would be decimated by an alteration to the slots-at-racetrack contract, employs roughly 60,000 Ontarians, and is currently the source of $2-billion in annual expenditures.
In a recent editorial that the Toronto Sun has opted to headline 'Liberals Shoveling Horse Manure,' highly-respected sports writer Rob Longley has let his feelings be known. An excerpt from his column appears below.
Faced with widespread criticism of the (Drummond Report's) recommendations, the Liberal Premier addressed the proposed slashes to racing with the following words designed purely, it would seem, to dupe his constituency into buying into his nonsense.
“If we must choose between horse racing and home care,” McGuinty said, “we’re going to choose home care.”
To suggest that racing is compromising home care or any other sacred trust or social service, is just as ridiculous as calling racing’s share of slot revenues a 'subsidy.' But apparently that’s the game the government is determined to play and in an industry it doesn’t think the general public cares enough about, it has its whipping boys.
Clay Powell, columnist with The Londoner, has opted to strip down the entire saga to what he sees as its bare bones.
An excerpt from his column appears below.
… What started out as a win-win agreement has been turned around by Mr. Duncan who now calls the arrangement “Ontario’s annual $345-million dollar subsidy for horse racing.”
You get the picture. You go in business with the government, work your butt off to complete your end of the bargain, and then the kindly government claims they’ve been paying you a subsidy and now they’ve decided to keep all the money.
For the most recent news regarding the ongoing slots-at-racetracks ordeal, please utilize SC's Drummond Report resource section by clicking here.