The British Columbia government announced it will cease providing any share of slot machine revenue to the province’s Thoroughbred racing and breeding industries starting January 31, 2026. Since 2015, these industries had received about 25% of slot revenues—around $9 to $11 million annually—to offset losses caused by the introduction of slot machines at Hastings Park in 2008, which had reduced betting handle at the racetrack. The decision, communicated in a letter from Minister Nina Krieger, followed a government review citing the industry’s financial unsustainability despite revitalization efforts and declining public interest, and stated that additional government funding requests could not be supported given fiscal constraints.

Industry representatives, including David Milburn of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association B.C., condemned the move as a breach of trust that will severely impact racing purses, reduce race days, and lead to job losses and housing insecurity for racetrack workers. The decision is also expected to further devastate the already declining breeding sector, which has seen foal production drop from 400 in 2008 to 77 in 2023. Milburn emphasized that the government’s withdrawal of slot revenue support undermines the industry’s stability and contradicts earlier commitments, arguing that the casino’s existence is tied to the racetrack, not vice versa.