2 March 2012 - Press Release
Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association Launches Value 4 Money

The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association has been overwhelmed by the support it has been receiving from industry members and the general public over the last two weeks in response to it's efforts to protect the OLG Slots at Racetracks Program.

"Phones in our office are ringing off the hooks. We are receiving hundreds of emails a day," said Sue Leslie, President of the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association.
"We wanted to create a single industry wide website to allow individuals to tell the government how they feel, while providing a one stop shop for folks to stay up to date on our activities." Leslie added.

OHRIA has been busy working with industry members, the general public and government to ensure there is a greater understanding of the Slots at Racetrack Program before the Provincial Budget is announced.

"We were gravely concerned when Minister Duncan suggested that ending the Slots at Racetrack program would save the government $345 million dollars. The Government's own numbers show that the program actually generates $1.1 billion dollars for the Government," said Leslie.

http://value4money.ca contains factual information about the OLG Slots at Racetrack Program, shares the industry's economic impact and importance to Ontario's rural economy, and gives citizens tools to engage the Government of Ontario by email with the click of a button.

"We are very happy to provide all concerned Ontarians with a web-based tool that makes emailing all 107 MPPS as easy as typing in your name, email address and postal code," Said Leslie. "We expect thousands of Ontarians will share their views using this feature."

For more information contact:
Sue Leslie
416 -679-0741 or ohria@ohria.com

OHRIA Fact sheet - Value for Money - Feb 27.pdf
OHRIA Facts A Partnership That Works.pdf
OHRIA Economic Impact Study 2010
Horse Racing Partnership Highlights

Fact Sheet: Economic Benefits from Ontario’s Horse Racing Industry

Duncan’s Proposal to End the Slots at Racetrack Program Would Add $1.1 Billion Dollarsto the Annual Deficit: Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association
Finance Minister Dwight Duncan has been falsely referring to the Ontario Lottery and GamingSlots at Racetrack revenue sharing program as a subsidy. His claim is that the Government hasbeen providing a $345 million dollar annual subsidy to Ontario’s Horse Racing Industry. In arecent fundraising email to supporters, the Ontario Liberal Party suggested that they are“choosing to support our youngest learners over wealthy race track owners”.

Duncan’s plans to save the Government $345 million from this alleged subsidy, would actuallyresult in adding another $1.1 billion dollars to Ontario’s already out of control deficit. Accordingto OLG’s financial statements, the Government of Ontario is receiving $1.1 billion dollars peryear from the Slots at Racetracks Program. The horse racing industry, which has made spaceavailable to OLG slots and allowed competition between the slots and horse racing at theirfacilities, receives only 20% of the revenue from the slots. The Government walks away with75% of the slots revenue and host municipalities receive 5%.

If the Liberals end the Slots at Racetrack program, they will be forced to cut an additional $1.1billion dollars a year from Ontario’s budget. This represents nearly 75% of the cost of full daykindergarten or three times the cost of the Liberal’s 30% tuition reduction.

“The Ontario Liberals need to make a decision. If they want to see the government revenuestabilize and grow, they can’t be ending programs that generate $1.1 billion dollars a year forthe Government, which is exactly what Dwight Duncan is proposing to do.” said Sue Leslie,President of the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association. “They can’t have it both ways. Ifthey end the Slots at Racetrack program, they will lose $1.1 billion dollars of revenue each year.We are supporting Ontario’s youngest learners by generating more than a billion dollars a yearfor the Government.” Leslie added.

According to an economic study prepared for OHRIA in November 2011, there are 31,441 fulltime jobs sustained by Ontario’s Horse Racing Industry, with up to 60,000 jobs supported by theindustry when factoring in part-time and casual employment.With expenditures of nearly $2 billion dollars in the province of Ontario and 80% of that moneybeing spent in rural municipalities, horse racing is the second largest subsection of Ontario’sagriculture economy.

“We will continue to increase pressure on the Government to recognize the devastating impacta short sighted decision to attempt to save $345 million dollars would have on Governmentrevenues and the 60,000 families who rely on our industry for a pay cheque.” added Leslie.The OLG’s Annual Report for 2009-2010 is available on the OLG website at www.olg.caThe economic study prepared for OHRIA is available at http://ohria.com

For more information:
Sue Leslie, President - Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association
phone: 416-679-0741 / email: ohria@ohria.com

A Partnership That Works!

In the late 1990’s and throughout the past decade, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (now the OLG) entered into a revenue sharing agreement with the horse racing industry and host municipalities in Ontario to allow the placement of slot machines at racetracks.

The racetracks provided the OLG with access to their existing facilities, saving the government the massive expense of building their own facilities and having to gain the approval of municipalities and the public to build gambling venues in their back yards. This agreement was not entered into lightly by the horse racing industry. After more than two years of economic review and negotiation, both the horse racing industry and the Ontario government’s Management Board of Cabinet agreed that a 20% share of the slots revenue could offset the loss of horse racing’s wagering dollar and customer base to sustain the horse racing industry. This revenue share would also help to offset the cost of operating and maintaining the buildings and properties in which the OLG’s government operated slots are housed.

For more than 10 years, the Slots at Racetracks Program has been a highly successful partnership which has allowed the horse racing industry to sustain itself and continue providing many economic benefits to the rural and municipal economies, while earning the provincial government more than $1.3 billion dollars in revenue every year.

Impact of the Horse Racing Industry by the numbers:

• $261 million dollars in revenue for the province of Ontario exclusive of slot revenue
• Horse Racing Industry spends more than $2 billion dollars per year in Ontario, with more than 80% of that money being spent in rural Ontario.
• Estimated 60,000 jobs are attributed to the horse racing and breeding industry.
• $1.5 billion dollars in wages and salaries are sustained annually by the total expenditures of the horse racing industry.
• Where the OLG’s resort casinos have lost millions of dollars, the Slots at Racetracks Program has returned billions of dollars in revenue. “Talk about value for money!” *

The OLG revenue sharing program has offset the negative financial impact slots at racetracks would otherwise have on the racing industry’s bottom line. The ever increasing competition imposed by the slots and other expanded gaming would further erode the wagering dollar to the point that the industry’s survival would be at serious risk. The government is looking to reduce the horse racing industry’s revenue share at a time when they are looking to expand their own gaming operations in direct competition with horse racing. In addition, if the proposed changes to the Criminal Code are implemented, the provinces will be allowed to operate sports betting, once again in direct competition with the horse racing industry.

Out of the more than 60,000 jobs that would be at risk, many of those employed have worked in the industry all their lives, some are even second and third generation racetrack workers who would be unlikely to find jobs in other industries.

By preserving the existing program, the government would continue to collect $1.3 billion dollars annually from the race horse industry while ensuring Ontario’s horse racing industry remains economically sound for those rural communities and the 60,000 families that rely on the race horse industry for employment.

* Look for OHRIA’s next Fact Sheet “Talk about value for money!”

For more information contact OHRIA – phone: 416-679-0741 / email: ohria@ohria.com

NOTICE TO THE INDUSTRY: A GRASS ROOTS CAMPAIGN IS NOW UNDERWAY

February 17, 2012

The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA) has developed a strategy and is launching an intensive six-week grass-roots campaign to inform both the public and the Government of the economic impact of the horse racing industry in the Province of Ontario.

OHRIA has engaged the services of a public relations firm and will be calling on all industry stakeholders and ally organizations to help with this intensive strategy scheduled to launch early next week.

"You can rest assured that OHRIA, which includes representatives of the Standardbred, Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse Industries, is continuing to do all we can for the horse racing industry in Ontario," commented Sue Leslie, President and Chair of OHRIA, "Dialogue continues with the Province and the OLG, our Slots at Racetracks partners, and we are also launching an ongoing campaign to send a strong and positive message to Government and the public, of the importance and the economic benefits of the horse racing industry in Ontario."

Additional information will be available as the campaign unfolds.

For more information contact:
OHRIA - The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association
416-679-0741
email: ohria@ohria.com

NOTICE TO THE INDUSTRY: VOICE YOUR SUPPORT

In response to the Ontario Government’s announcement that they are considering changes or a reduction to the Slots at Racetracks revenue shared by the horseracing industry, the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association is asking industry participants to contact your local MPP, Minister Dwight Duncan and Premier Dalton McGuinty, to express your support of the horse racing industry and how changes to the Slots at Racetracks Program would impact you and your community.

Ontario Premier
The Honourable Dalton McGuinty
Room 281, Main Legislative Building
Queen’s Park
Toronto, ON
M7A 1A1
Phone: 416-325-1941
Email: dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

Minster of Finance
The Honourable Dwight Duncan
7th Floor, Frost Building South
7 Queen’s Park Crescent
Toronto, ON
M7A 1Y7
Phone: 416-325-0400
Email: dduncan.mpp@liberal.ola.org

Andrea Horwath, MPP (Hamilton Centre)
Leader
New Democratic Party of Ontario
20 Hughson Street South
Hamilton, Ontario L8N 2A1
Tel: 905-544-9644
Fax: 905-544-5152
Email: ahorwath-co@ndp.on.ca

Tim Hudak, MPP (Niagara West – Glanbrook)
Leader
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and Leader of the Official Opposition
Unit M1
4961 King Street East
Beamsville, Ontario L0R 1B0
Tel: 905-563-1755
Fax: 905-563-1317
Email: tim.hudakco@pc.ola.org

Mr. Paul Godfrey,
Chair
Ontario & Gaming Corporation
4120 Yonge Street, Suite 500
Toronto, Ontario M2P 2B8
By mail only please

For local MPP contact information visit: http://www.ontario.ca/en/contacts/004209

Background: The implementation of the Slots at Racetracks Program more than a decade ago halted the serious decline the industry faced when met by competition from expanded gaming and casinos in the province. This program has allowed the industry to maintain jobs while providing a solid base in the rural agricultural economy.

Facts: A November, 2011 report for OHRIA on the economic impacts of Ontario’s horse racing industry demonstrates the significant economic benefit the industry continues to have on rural Ontario. Some of the key findings include:

• Ontario’s Horse Racing Industry employs an estimated 60,000 Ontarians and pays a total of $1.5 billion dollars of wages and salaries each year in Ontario. The horse racing industry is the second largest sub-sector of the agricultural economy with a contribution in excess of wheat, eggs, poultry and hogs, combined in 2010.
• Over the last decade annual expenditures by the horse racing industry has increased by 67% to $2 billion dollars in 2010 from $1.2 billion in 2000. Approximately 80% of this expenditure occurs in Ontario’s rural agriculture communities where it provides much needed economic growth.
• Government revenue from Ontario’s horse racing revenue has increased by 27% over the last ten years with the province of Ontario receiving $261 million dollars a year from industry not including OLG profits from slot machines.

For more information contact:
OHRIA – The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association
416-679-0741
email: ohria@ohria.com

OHRIA Economic Study (PDF)
OHRIA Economic Impact Study 2010 (PDF)