Court Upholds Ruling in Horse Breeders’ Suit against Province and OLG

On Tuesday, October 3, 2017, an attempt by the province and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. to prevent the questioning under oath of former premier Dalton McGuinty, along with his former finance minister Dwight Duncan and their chiefs of staff, in regard to the 2012 decision to terminate the Slots at Racetracks revenue-sharing partnership, was dismissed by a Divisional Court. 

The Slots at Racetracks revenue sharing agreement, which had been in place for more than a decade, saw a portion of the proceeds from slot machines housed at racetracks go to the horse racing industry. The program helped transform Ontario racing into a world-class industry. The sudden cancellation, which took effect March 31, 2013, had far-reaching negative repercussions to Ontario racing and to the Ontario horse industry as a whole.

Dalton McGuinty was Premier of Ontario from 2003 to 2013. Photo: Shutterstock/Babych

The civil claim centres on a $65 million legal claim launched in 2014 by a group of Ontario Standardbred horse breeders. 

For background on the cancellation of the Slots at Racetracks program, read Shortchanged.

For more information on the Division Court decision, READ MORE.

(with files from the Toronto Star and Standardbred Canada)

Main blog photo: Canstock/FMNelly