Bet Ontario: Decline In Home Wagering Leads To Decreased Funding For Critical Programs

Yahoo

20-05-2025

The popularity of 'Buy Canadian' programs as a response to U.S. threats on Canada's sovereignty has been extended to Ontario's horse racing industry in a campaign called Bet Ontario (#betontario).Ontario Racing is encouraging those that choose to bet on horse racing to consider the critical importance of wagering on the races conducted in Ontario. Betting on Ontario races in Ontario is essential for supporting some 30,000 jobs in the province connected to the horse racing sector, which translates into about 23,000 full-time equivalent jobs.Simply put, the Ontario horse racing industry keeps the most money from bets made in Ontario on live races being conducted in the province (and please always bet responsibly).It's known as Home Market Area (HMA) wagering and it is the primary source of funding for critical horse breeding programs.
That part is worth repeating. The amount of money in Ontario breed-development programs such as Standardbred racing's Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) and breeder rewards and bonus programs for Thoroughbreds is directly tied to HMA betting. In fact, HMA wagering is, by far, the largest source of funding for those programs.HMA wagering is defined as: Any wager on horse racing made while the person betting is physically located in Ontario. That includes wagers made at one of 15 Ontario racetracks, a long list of off-track betting locations, and via online platforms such as HPIbet and bet365.That means bets made in Ontario on live racing happening outside of Ontario count as HMA wagering, too, but the Ontario horse racing industry receives a lower percentage of the proceeds because it shares the money with the out-of-province host track.Even the platform used to make the bets matters. Since the Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) owns and operates HPIbet, more of the proceeds from wagers made via that platform stay in the Ontario horse racing industry.Woodbine operates like a not-for-profit company. Any profit it generates is invested back into the horse racing industry.
Over the last two fiscal years, HMA wagering has declined 12.6 per cent, with a 6.5 per cent decline from $733 million to $686 million in the last fiscal year.That has already led to a decrease in funding for programs under the Horse Improvement Program (HIP) managed by Ontario Racing. HIP supports the breeding and racing of Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds, and Quarter Horses.HMA wagering provides about 60 per cent of total HIP funding. In fiscal year (FY) 2025, the amount of HIP funding from HMA wagering was just over $20.6 million (unaudited). Due to the decrease in HMA betting, the amount of HIP funding from that source is budgeted to be $19.35 million at the end of the current FY2026.Andrew Gaughan, the independent chair of Ontario Racing, said the launch of online casino and sports betting platforms in the province in April of 2022 has had a negative impact on betting on horse racing. Ontario is now home to more than 50 legal online gambling operators offering more than 80 different sites. Through the first three years of operation, those online gambling sites have, collectively, generated more than $7 billion in revenue.
'HMA wagering is under competitive siege from the advent and proliferation of advertising and aggressive player marketing from well-funded and deeply capitalized licensed digital gaming operators in Ontario and this decline in HMA wagering in the last two years amounts to an annualized loss of about $11-12 million of horse racing industry income,' Gaughan said. 'It means we have had to trim about $3 million annually from the respective HIP programs and budgets in addition to the industry income loss.'Critical programs under HIP include: the Standardbred Improvement Program (SIP) that funds the OSS, the Thoroughbred Improvement Program (TIP), the Quarter Horse Racing Industry Development Program (QHRIDP) and lucrative breeder awards programs for all three breeds.It's a vicious circle. A decrease in purses or breeder awards makes it even more difficult to attract horse owners and for Ontario breeders to survive financially. That could lead to fewer horses being produced in the province, which, in turn, lowers the field size for races. Lower field size typically leads to lower betting handle, which perpetuates the problem.The good news is, if HMA wagering goes up in 2025, those programs will receive increased funding.That's where Bet Ontario comes in.
Beyond betting on the Ontario product while located in the province, Ontario Racing is also asking anyone interested in supporting horse racing to spread the word about the importance of Bet Ontario.We're using the hashtag #betontario on our social media platforms and encouraging anyone interested in promoting Ontario horse racing to do the same when posting about the industry. The hashtag goes beyond referring to betting on horse racing. It signifies an all-encompassing support for the industry.Ontario Racing is also planning an extended educational campaign to better inform the industry about the importance of HMA wagering.In the meantime, consider bringing new people to the track. Getting close to the horses is the best way to create new fans.
Short of that, wagering while watching at home is still an easy and exciting option. For example, Ignite World Racing on Sportsnet has approximately 30 broadcasts a year of major live Thoroughbred races from around the world, including six from Woodbine.Meanwhile, HPIbet customers can watch all the races while they wager.In the end, it's a little more difficult to slap one of those 'Canadian product' stickers on some 10,000 Ontario horses connected to racing, but Bet Ontario is a 'Made in Ontario,' 'Buy Local' suggestion for Ontarians wishing to support their own world class horse racing industry.