Province to cut slot machine revenue for Hastings Racecourse
Even with continued government investment from casino-generated revenue, the industry is not sustainable due to declining revenues, public participation and attendance, a letter from the province reads.
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The future of horse racing in B.C. is in doubt after the provincial government pulled slot machine revenue from Vancouver’s Hastings Racecourse — B.C.’s last operating horse track.
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The province dropped the bombshell to representatives of horse racing in a video meeting Thursday, then sent a letter announcing the cut from Nina Krieger, minister of public safety and solicitor general.
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Gary Johnson of Thoroughbred Racing B.C. said the announcement “came as an absolute shock” and “without any warning whatsoever.”
Johnson said the horse racing industry had presented the province with a three year budget eight months ago. The province asked for some alternatives, which they sent back.
“We have been inquiring about what their decision was since then, told over and over that it was in the pipeline, it was being fully discussed within government,” he said. “Then yesterday they said, ‘By the way, no additional funding, and we’re cutting off the slot funding.’”
Horse racing has been in decline for decades and has increasingly relied on a share of revenue from the trackside casino to support the sport.
In a statement Friday, Krieger said the decision was made due to “significant concerns” with the financial sustainability of horse racing in B.C. following an economic impact assessment.
“This was a difficult decision, and I understand it will have impacts on the industry in our province, and on those who work in it.”
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Government officials said the amount of slot machine income that went to the horse racing industry was about $8 to $10 million annually. The money will now form part of the B.C. Lottery Corporation’s general revenue to government after Jan. 31, officials said.
The Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association of B.C. had an emergency board meeting Thursday evening.
“Until we have hard facts to relay to HBPA members, there will be no speculation as to what comes next although, clearly, this latest news is as serious as it was unexpected,” wrote the association. “We know this announcement will cause shock, anger, and uncertainty. We share those feelings.”
Whether the 2026 horse racing season will go forward is unknown.
Hastings Park racecourse is leased by Great Canadian Entertainment, but its current lease is up in May. The City of Vancouver owns the land.
“We are reviewing this decision to understand the implications for our operations and we will be engaging with our industry partners shortly,” said a statement from Great Canadian.
Great Canadian has been in talks with the Tseil-waututh Nation for the purchase of the casino at the track.
On Nov. 10 the two parties announced they had entered an agreement for the purchase, but it hasn’t gone through yet — the announcement also said “the closing of the transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions and approvals, including by regulatory authorities and the City of Vancouver.”
Johnson is also a director of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, and said the timing of the provincial announcement is problematic, because the government “ended the funding in the middle of a fiscal year.”
Johnson said if Hastings Park does close, several thousand people will be affected around the province.
“There’s breeders, there’s hay suppliers, feed suppliers, truckers, the trainers, all their staff,” he said.
“There’s the farms that house the horses in the winter. What are we going to do with (the horses)? Are they going to be sold off, or are people going to take them to Alberta or to Washington (to race) or some place else in this country?
“We just don’t know, because you’re talking to a person who heard this just over 24 hours ago.”
In August, the city of Surrey ended its lease with Great Canadian Entertainment, shutting down the Fraser Downs harness racing track after 49 years.
There has been horse racing at Hastings. Park since 1892, but the track’s financial struggles have led to speculation it would close. The Vancouver Whitecaps announced in April that it had approached the City of Vancouver with a proposal to build a new soccer stadium at the site in Hastings Park.
But Johnson is skeptical a new Whitecaps stadium will happen.
“The Whitecaps are in the middle of negotiations with B.C. Place, and B.C. Place wants them to keep them, the province wants them at B.C. Place,” he said.
“Spending hundreds of millions of dollars to accommodate FIFA (for seven World Cup games) … the world will see soccer being played in that stadium with 50,000 plus people. I can’t understand why all of a sudden there’s a discussion about putting (a Whitecaps stadium) in Hastings Park.”
