Canadian racing track bets on gaming machines

The Century Mile, a Canadian racing track south of Edmonton, will open this month, housing 550 slot machines.

Canada.- Horse racing used to be an industry focused on the pure sport and wagers on each race, but it has turned into something else. That’s why Canadian racing track Century Mile will open this month with a huge casino, containing hundreds of slot machines.

The 25k square-foot venue hosts 550 slots, electronic table games, video lottery terminals and an off-track betting parlour. The casino has already opened, but the racing track is scheduled to be inaugurated on April 28.

“Old tracks were built to house gamblers, basically,” says Paul Ryneveld, general manager of racing at Century Mile. “They were built with grandstands that you sat and watched the races from. You went inside to long lines for the windows you could bet at, and when you finished doing that, you turned around and the concessions were right there.

“People want more than that now,” Mr Ryneveld told local media. “Horse racing is a social event, and we want to give that to them and all that it can offer.”