February 21, 2017 – The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) released last week, the ‘Moving Ahead: Horse Racing Regulation in Ontario’ Findings Report. The report presents a summary of the issues, ideas and thoughts that were brought forward throughout the eight-month engagement process.
The AGCO is currently reviewing all feedback and intends to make policy reforms in the near future and the years ahead, based on these findings. Many of the ideas brought forward through the engagement are complex and require continued collaboration with industry to make meaningful policy changes.
To facilitate this, three Working Groups are being established to review and make recommendations for policy reform in the following areas:
- Equine Drug Program
- Officiating
- Health and Safety (Equine & Human).
The Working Groups will be mandated to provide advice on reforms that are practical and incorporate to the extent possible, the needs and best interests of the industry as a whole.
In the case of the Equine Drug Program Working Group, the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency (CPMA) will be partnering with the AGCO in facilitating this important policy reform discussion.