Toronto, ON – After months of being shut out from legally wagering on horse racing, fans of the sport in Quebec are now able to watch and wager on over 150 racetracks from the around the world thanks to an agreement announced today between Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) and Le Club Jockey du Quebec (CJQ).
HorsePlayer Interactive (HPI), WEG’s online account-wagering platform, is now available to both Quebec’s harness and thoroughbred racing fans at HorsePlayerInteractive.com. HorsePlayer Interactive is Canada’s first and only legal pari-mutuel account wagering service.
Le Club Jockey du Quebec has made drastic cuts to the historical takeouts used in Quebec, thereby returning more money to horseplayers. Quebec will match takeouts from Canadian tracks (including WEG products) and will adopt Ontario strategies for takeouts on foreign tracks. Further to this, the five-year deal includes full participation in the HPI Rewards program, which will offer cash back to players automatically on a weekly basis.
“Some of the country’s most enthusiastic racing fans live in Quebec, so we are thrilled to offer HorsePlayer Interactive to them,” said Sean Pinsonneault, WEG’s Vice-President of Wagering Services. “We’re delighted to partner with such a progressive group like Le Club Jockey du Quebec which is committed to rebuilding the Quebec racing business from the ground up with a strong focus on the customer.”
CJQ, a not for profit organization, was formed in June of 2009 by a group of horse owners passionate about the sport and committed to its survival in Quebec. Serge Savard, a prominent Quebec businessman, long time standardbred owner, and Montreal Canadiens legend is a member and offers his support of CJQ’s objectives.
“This is the start of a new beginning for Quebec racing fans, horsemen and all others involved in the sport,” said Le Club Jockey du Quebec spokesperson, Jocelyn Faucher. “The significant cuts that we have made to the takeouts will be recognized by the customer immediately and should strengthen our foundation as we take a conservative approach to returning racing to the province in a healthy and vibrant way.”
HPI now provides wagering services to all provinces except Manitoba.
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