Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has introduced online horse race wagering for its players through a new collaboration with Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG). The integration allows users on OLG.ca and the OLG app to place bets on live horse races from tracks across Ontario and worldwide, including marquee events like The King’s Plate at Woodbine Racetrack on August 16.
Streamlined Integration and Industry Impact
Dave Pridmore, OLG’s Chief Gaming Officer, described the initiative in the regulator’s press release as “another way for [players] to engage in the thrilling sport of horse racing,” adding that it marks an important step in the organization’s commitment to sustaining a “vibrant, competitive and sustainable horse racing industry in Ontario.”
With this launch, OLG becomes the first Canadian provincial lottery and gaming agency to bring a horse racing wagering product to its digital audience. The system is powered by HPIbet, Canada’s premier online betting platform for horse racing, which recently expanded beyond its long-standing web presence by launching a dedicated app.
The WEG-OLG partnership delivers a plug-and-play solution, meaning that the same integration could be adopted by other gaming operators in Ontario. This setup offers racing fans a streamlined and user-friendly betting experience, while preserving the industry’s economic structure by using pari-mutuel wagering — the only legal form of horse race betting in Canada.
In a pari-mutuel system, all wagers are pooled, and after the house take is deducted, payouts are calculated and distributed among the winning bets. This structure ensures fairness and channels betting revenue back into the horse racing sector.
Woodbine CEO Michael Copeland emphasized the value of this arrangement: “This launch brings the excitement of horse racing to even more people across the province in a convenient and modern way — enhancing the experience for bettors while driving new interest in our sport. It’s another step forward for the growth of horse racing in Ontario, and we’re grateful to OLG for their continued support and willingness to collaborate and innovate alongside us.”
Expanding Ontario’s Racing Market
The timing coincides with the $1 million King’s Plate, and the move positions OLG’s Proline sportsbook as only the second in Ontario to offer horse race wagering, following bet365’s introduction of the option in 2022. On both platforms, bets are routed through Woodbine’s tote system and must comply with the pari-mutuel model.
Historically, Woodbine maintained exclusive rights to offer pari-mutuel wagering in the province to keep industry profits within Canada. Jim Lawson, the organization’s former CEO and current chair, previously explained that this approach ensures financial support remains in the sport rather than going to offshore operators. Fixed-odds betting, while popular in some markets, is seen as offering margins too narrow to sustain the costs of horse breeding, training, and racing.
The horse racing sector in Ontario supports an estimated 23,000 full-time equivalent jobs, and industry stakeholders hope other sportsbooks will follow OLG’s lead. The province currently has over 50 licensed operators running more than 80 platforms, with more than 20 offering sports betting — signaling significant growth potential for racing’s presence in the wider gambling market.
OLG has emphasized player safety as part of the rollout. Those using OLG.ca and the OLG app have access to responsible gambling tools and support resources, designed to help them make informed choices and maintain healthy play habits.
