Sandown Needed Slot Machines

Scott Sinclair of the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation confirmed yesterday that harness racing will not be coming back this summer. Sandown is the last location for harness racing on Vancouver Island, but the track just cannot afford to run it. After 150 years of Island horse races, which started at Beacon Hill Park, they came to a close yesterday – and many blame the lack of slot machines.

Great Canada tried to bring in slot machines to help with revenue. They felt that not only would the slot machine revenue help the track on its own, but that the presence of the slot machines would bring people in to play them – people who wouldn’t normally play the horses. However, the North Saanich Council turned down the slot machine application in September.

North Saanich Mayor Ted Daly said he was disappointed to learn of the decision. He said, "I wasn't a big champion of slots, but I was a champion of Sandown and if it took slots to do it, so be it."

He also said that the application for slot machines was lacking certain items and that the racetrack did not properly complete the necessary steps. Great Canadian was planning on bringing in 200 slot machines, and then using the slot machine revenue to improve the track and area.

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