OLG reverses course and keeps slots open at Kawartha Downs
The decision protects more than 150 jobs at the slots and racetrack south of Peterborough after weeks of pressure from workers and residents.
Slot machines will keep operating at Kawartha Downs past March 2026 after the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) reversed its decision to close them.
On September 29, OLG said it would not renew its contract with Great Canadian Entertainment for Shorelines Slots at Kawartha Downs. The site is about 17 kilometres south of Peterborough. OLG has now rescinded that decision, PtboToday reported.
Both the slots and the racetrack had been set to close at the end of March 2026, according to SEIU Local 2. The agreement also keeps the racetrack open. More than 150 local jobs are protected, according to the report. Great Canadian Entertainment is working with OLG and the property owner to extend its operating agreement and lease.
Pressure from workers
The reversal followed weeks of pressure from unionized workers, residents and other groups. SEIU Local 2, which represents employees at both the slots and the racetrack, had campaigned against the closure since the fall. Collective agreements run until 2029 for slots workers and until 2028 for racetrack staff.
Danielle Traverse, a slots worker and SEIU Local 2 member, said she was relieved that she and her co-workers would keep their unionized jobs. She said the result matters for workers' families and for the local economy.
Program extended
OLG said it is extending its Optional Slots at Racetracks Program, which allows Kawartha Downs slots to remain open beyond March 31, 2026. The agency said it will keep working with casino service providers and racetrack property owners on extensions. The Township of Cavan Monaghan will keep receiving Municipality Contribution Payments as a casino host municipality while the slots remain in operation.
The union said the track has been working toward becoming a year-round destination and has made significant capital investments. It described the slots as the anchor tenant for that expansion. SEIU Local 2 also said Ontario's horse racing industry creates or supports more than 30,000 jobs, many of them in smaller and rural communities.