New support in Canada’s most populous province and enhanced technology are opening doors for expanded live horse race betting.
Key Takeaways
- Woodbine is the largest horse racing operator in Canada and hosts the upcoming King’s Plate event.
- The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation is federally licensed to provide pari-mutuel wagering in the province.
- Similar partnerships could form in Ontario in the near future.
Woodbine Entertainment, the largest horse racing operator in Canada, announced a deal on Tuesday with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) to provide pari-mutuel betting on live races throughout the province, as OLG becomes Canada’s first provincial lottery and gaming agency to provide a digital product to horseplayers.
"We are excited to offer access to this experience to our online players, providing another way for them to engage in the thrilling sport of horse racing," said Dave Pridmore, OLG's chief gaming officer. "This collaboration represents an important step in our mandate of supporting the sport and a vibrant, competitive, and sustainable horse racing industry in Ontario."
Just in time
Horse bettors can access the Canadian law-compliant, shared-pool wagering through OLG.ca and the OLG app. A plug-and-play connection allows horseplayers to wager through Woodbine’s online products powered by HPIBet.
While bettors in Ontario, which offers legal sports betting sites and online casinos, will have access to races from around the world, the new partnership with OLG comes just in time for Saturday’s 166th running of King’s Plate. Canada’s oldest horse race and $1-million payout event is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, which includes the Prince of Wales Stakes and Breeders’ Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto.
“This launch brings the excitement of horse racing to even more people across the province in a convenient and modern way - enhancing the experience for bettors while driving new interest in our sport," said Michael Copeland, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. "It's another step forward for the growth of horse racing in Ontario, and we're grateful to OLG for their continued support and willingness to collaborate and innovate alongside us."
Potential for expansion
This is the second online gaming partnership for Woodbine, the only Canadian-licensed holder of horse race betting in Ontario. The thoroughbred company, which also operates Standardbred racing at Woodbine Mohawk Park in Milton, has provided pari-mutuel wagering services for online sportsbook and iGaming operator bet365 since 2023.
OLG offers the only legal form of horse race betting in the province. The new way to access pari-mutuel wagering isn’t exclusive to Woodbine and could be adopted by other gaming operators, opening the door for horse race wagering expansion across the province.
