Robert Burgess has renewed his call for the slots-at-racetracks program to be left in effect beyond its scheduled March 31, 2013 termination date.
In a letter addressed to Premier and Agriculture Minister Kathleen Wynne, Finance Minister Charles Sousa and Rural Affairs Minister Jeff Leal, Robert Burgess gave a grim outlook for Ontario's horse racing industry and the provincial treasury if the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corp.'s modernization strategy goes forward without horse racing playing the same vital part it has for the past decade.
In his letter, Burgess notes that - as seen in other jurisdictions - slot machine play at the OLG's racetrack locations is up 10 to 20 per cent on days with live racing, a statistic that according to Burgess could cost the province $50 million per year if live race dates are slashed and tracks cease to exist.
Burgess's letter appears in its entirely below or is available here.