Starting today, Quebec can once again wager on thoroughbred and harness racing after an agreement between WEG and the Quebec Jockey Club
.
According to a report in today's Montreal Gazette, the Quebec Jockey Club was authorized for Internet betting by the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Association once it secured a live racing permit. A 10-day meet is set for Ayer's Cliff with 50 more dates in the works.
The article also states that takeout for Quebec's punters will be lower than the days of Paritel and Attractions Hippqiues, coming down from 30 per cent takeout to 23 per cent through HPI and WEG.
To read the full article with more information about the live dates and future plans for racing, click here.
WEG issued announcements on the agreement in both English and French on Thursday morning:
After months of being shut out from legally wagering on horse racing, fans of the sport in Quebec are now able to watch and wager on over 150 racetracks from the around the world thanks to an agreement announced today between Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) and Le Club Jockey du Quebec (CJQ).
HorsePlayer Interactive (HPI), WEG's online account-wagering platform, is now available to both Quebec's harness and thoroughbred racing fans at HorsePlayerInteractive.com. HorsePlayer Interactive is Canada's first and only legal pari-mutuel account wagering service.
Le Club Jockey du Quebec has made drastic cuts to the historical takeouts used in Quebec, thereby returning more money to horseplayers. Quebec will match takeouts from Canadian tracks (including WEG products) and will adopt Ontario strategies for takeouts on foreign tracks. Further to this, the five-year deal includes full participation in the HPI Rewards program, which will offer cash back to players automatically on a weekly basis.
"Some of the country's most enthusiastic racing fans live in Quebec, so we are thrilled to offer HorsePlayer Interactive to them," said Sean Pinsonneault, WEG's Vice-President of Wagering Services. "We're delighted to partner with such a progressive group like Le Club Jockey du Quebec which is committed to rebuilding the Quebec racing business from the ground up with a strong focus on the customer.”
CJQ, a not for profit organization, was formed in June of 2009 by a group of horse owners passionate about the sport and committed to its survival in Quebec. Serge Savard, a prominent Quebec businessman, long time standardbred owner, and Montreal Canadiens legend is a member and offers his support of CJQ’s objectives.
"This is the start of a new beginning for Quebec racing fans, horsemen and all others involved in the sport," said Le Club Jockey du Quebec spokesperson, Jocelyn Faucher. "The significant cuts that we have made to the takeouts will be recognized by the customer immediately and should strengthen our foundation as we take a conservative approach to returning racing to the province in a healthy and vibrant way."
HPI now provides wagering services to all provinces except Manitoba.
Après avoir été privé pendant plusieurs mois de pari légal sur les courses de chevaux, les amateurs Québécois de ce sport peuvent maintenant visionner et parier sur des courses en provenance de plus de 150 pistes à travers le monde grâce à une entente annoncée aujourd’hui entre Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) et Le Club Jockey du Québec (CJQ).
HorsePlayer Interactive (HPI), est une plateforme de pari sur compte en ligne développée par WEG et maintenant accessible aux amateurs de courses sous harnais et de courses de plat du Québec au horseplayerinteractive.com. HorsePlayer Interactive est le tout premier et le seul service de pari sur compte légal au Canada.
Le Club Jockey du Québec a radicalement réduit les commissions traditionnellement appliquées sur les paris au Québec. Cette réduction a comme effet de retourner plus d'argent dans les poches des parieurs. Le CJQ/HPI égalera les commissions retenues par les pistes Canadiennes (incluant Woodbine Entertainment Group) et poursuivra les mêmes politiques que WEG pour les pistes étrangères. Cette entente d'une durée de cinq ans comprend la pleine participation au programme de récompense de HPI qui offrira automatiquement aux joueurs des remises comptant hebdomadaire.
"Parmi les plus grands amateurs de courses de chevaux au Canada se trouvent plusieurs résidents du Québec et il nous fait donc grandement plaisir de pouvoir leur offrir HorsePlayer Interactive," commenta Sean Pinsonneault, Vice-Président des services de pari de WEG. "Nous sommes heureux de nous associer avec un groupe progressiste comme Le Club Jockey du Québec qui est dévoué à la reconstruction entière de l’industrie des courses du Québec en adoptant une nouvelle orientation client.”
CJQ, est un organisme sans but lucratif, formé en juin 2009 par un groupe de propriétaires de chevaux passionnés par leur sport et ayant à cœur sa survie au Québec. Serge Savard, un homme d’affaire Québécois réputé, propriétaire de chevaux Standardbreds de longue date et légende du Canadiens de Montréal, figure parmi les membres et supporte les objectifs du CJQ.
"C’est le début d’une ère nouvelle pour les hommes à chevaux, les amateurs de courses et pour tous les intervenants de cette industrie au Québec," ajouta Jocelyn Faucher, porte-parole du Club Jockey du Québec. "Les réductions significatives de taxes perçues bénéficieront immédiatement la clientèle ce qui devrait renforcir nos fondations au moment même ou une approche conservatrice sera mis de l’avant pour le retour des courses dans la province.
HPI offre désormais des services de paris pour toutes les provinces à l’exception du Manitoba.
BRAVO!!!! I HOPE PEOPLE WILL
BRAVO!!!! I HOPE PEOPLE WILL NOW STOP GOING TO THAT BUSHLEAGUE CASINO IN MONTREAL.
AND START BETTING ON HORSE RACING AGAIN.. ONCE AGAIN THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO HAS
TRULY OUTDONE ITSELF AGAIN.HELPING THE FAITHFUL HORSE RACING FANS OF MONTREAL.
ONLY ANOTHER PROVINCE COULD HELP THE RESIDENTS OF QUEBEC.THE QUEBEC GOVERMENT HAS NO
TIME TO HELP ITS OWN PEOPLE. WE SHOULD ALL MOVE TO ONTARIO,AND DO BUSINESS WITH
THE SMART PEOPLE OF ONTARIO. BRAVO!! ONCE AGAIN TO WEG. AND.....THEIR OFF!!!
Great! Great! Great! Hope
Great! Great! Great! Hope they aggresively advertise to let people know about this. Some of us have been checking SC every day waiting for this news. You'll have to win some people back from their other accounts and other types of gambling.
Thank God... Now I don't
Thank God... Now I don't have to drive to Ottawa to load accounts I set up under various aliases in legal provinces, and I'm almost swooning with pleasure at the prospect of a mere 23% rake as opposed to the +30% that Paritel raped us with. Crazy eh?
It is great to see betting
It is great to see betting once again allowed in quebec. How ever the 23% takeout is still far to high. The horse players from quebec or anywhere else have no shot with this type of track takeout. It is legalized stealing when compared to the other forms of gambling that they have to compete with in this day and age. When are the powers to be in the race game going to catch on to this and do something about it once and for all and give there customers a fair chance, so they are not chasing them away from the game with excessive takeouts.