Racing will continue at Flamboro Downs for at least the next 6 years

It's still a struggling industry in Flamborough. But the head of horse racing at Flamboro Downs says his company is committed to offering the sport for at least the next six years.

Unless you're racing on the Woodbine circuit, to put it mildly, it's a tough go.- Bruce Barbour, Flamboro Downs

Bruce Barbour says the track hasa provincial funding agreement until 2021. And it has a leasewith Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) until 2023.

If the latter agreement ends and the slots leave, Flamboro Downs will close, Barbour said Wednesday. But as long as those elements are in place, racing there is secure.

"As long as there's a lease in place, my commitment is we will race horses at Flamboro Downs," said Barbour, executive director of racing operations, as he spoke tocity council's general issues committee.

The future of racing there has been an issue since 2012, when the province announced the end of its Slots at Racetracks program, endingthe $345 million peryear share of slot machine revenues that went to support the tracks.

• Winning slots operator will likely have loophole to move from Flamboro
• OLG looking for gaming operators for Hamilton area

The OLG, meanwhile, announced a modernization process and offered Hamilton a potential gaming facility. That led to a heated, months-long debate about whether Hamilton should have a downtown casino.

We not only stuck a forkin it, but we actually ate it.- Coun. Sam Merulla

In the end, council voted to keep gaming at Flamboro Downs unless it was found to be "not a viable site." Then the province began transfer agreements with facilities such as Flamboro. For Flamboro, that means about $8 million per year.

In October, OLG issued a request for proposals for a 25-year lease to run the "west GTA gaming bundle," which includes Casino Brantford and the slots at the Grand River Raceway in Elora and Mohawk in Milton.

OLG expects to announce the successful bidder in the fall, said OLG spokesperson Tony Bitonti. In December, Gateway Casinos of BC won the bid for the northern and southwest gaming bundles. Great Canadian Gaming, the company that runs Flamboro Downs, won the east bundle bid.

Ican name many horse farmers who no longer have any horses whatsoever.- Coun. Donna Skelly

• OLG plan hinged on downtown Hamilton casino: auditor
• Funding deal for Flamboro, Fort Erie, Georgian Downs racing reached with province

Barbourwon't say if Great Canadian Gaming is one of the bidders for the west GTA bundle.

Right now, he said, Flamboro offers 135 race days and employs 175 people. It also contributed $4.9 million in gaming revenue to the city in 2014/15.

That trend will continue for the foreseeable future, Barbour said. But when the province cancelled Slots at Racetracks, it had a "horrific impact" on the racing industry.

"Unless you're racing on the Woodbine circuit, to put it mildly, it's a tough go."

• Flamborough horse trainer worries for future

Donna Skelly, Ward 7 councillor, urged Barbour to put more money into the horse racing industry. "I can name many horse farmers who no longer have any horses whatsoever."

One certainty for now, said Coun. Sam Merulla of Ward 4, is that Hamilton won't get a downtown casino.

With that issue, "we not only stuck a forkin it, but we actually ate it."

samantha.craggs@cbc.ca | @SamCraggsCBC