Buried amidst an announcement of various accomplishments by the administration of Ontario Premier Doug Ford after 100 days in office was a notice that the slots-at-racetrack program will be returning to Niagara’s Fort Erie Race Track
Details have not been released as yet. Such as whether slots would be allowed at all of the province’s tracks or just at selected ones.
Fort Erie Race Track lost slot machines in 2012 when they were ordered removed by the Liberal government. At that time the revenues were divided between Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG), track owners and the host city. Between 1999-2012 the city received $33.5 million from 400 slots.
Ford is a member of the Progressive Conservative party, which is bringing back several programs that were jettisoned by the Liberals, including Slots-at-Racetrack. When he was running for office this summer, Ford specifically promised to bring the slots back to Fort Erie, which since 2014 has been owned by American investor Carl Paladino.
