Rob Cook Speaks to Canadian Thoroughbred on the Future of Ontario Racing

Nearly two months into his role as Executive Director at Ontario Racing, and just days before the 2016 CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale, Ontario Racing executive director Rob Cook spoke to Canadian Thoroughbred about the future of racing in the province, government funding, and integration with OLG.

“I’ve heard from horse people that certainty about the Ontario government’s long-term investment in horse racing is needed,” said Cook. “We are well aware that horse people operate on a four- or five-year cycle. I know that it takes time for breeders and owners to realize their investment, and that they need to understand what our future looks like in order to feel comfortable about making those investments.”

Cook pointed to Ontario’s most recent budget to illustrate the government’s commitment to and support of horse racing. “In the 2016 budget, released in February, the government extended its funding commitment for an extra two years,” he said, in regard to the province’s original five-year, $500 million deal that is set to expire on April 1, 2019. “That’s from 2019 to 2021. That’s not something that’s widely known.”

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Meetings with Ontario Lottery and Gaming, racetracks and the provincial government are ongoing to develop a framework to develop a plan beyond 2021.

“Our primary role right now is to work with our partners in government and at the OLG to determine what the long-term funding of the industry could look like,” noted Cook. “Once we have a sense of this, we will consult with horse people throughout the industry and provide OLG and the government with an industry perspective on a long term funding framework.” Cook expects that these conversations will take place in the coming months.

“The government’s gaming modernization plan plays a big part in what our next steps will look like, as the government looks at horseracing as an important piece of a larger approach to gaming in Ontario,” he said. This would also include discussions regarding leases for slots at racetracks. “We’re moving towards a place where we can have a broad-based conversation with the industry about exactly what the future will look like. Industry consultation is imminent and I believe it will be welcomed by the industry.”

Read the full interview in the October/November issue of Canadian Thoroughbred including comments on the Ontario Racing governance, TIP, Pari-Mutuel taxes, and more.