The slots and racetrack at Kawartha Downs will remain open after the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) reversed its September decision to end its business contract with Great Canadian Entertainment (GCE).
The facilities had been scheduled to close at the end of March 2026, putting more than 150 jobs at risk.
The update follows several weeks of efforts from unionized workers represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2, as well as community members and industry stakeholders.
GCE is now working with the OLG and the racetrack property owner to extend both the operating agreement and the lease.
Danielle Traverse, a slots worker and member of SEIU Local 2, said: "I am so relieved that my co-workers and I will continue to have good, unionized jobs. Not just for our own families, but for the local economy."
SEIU Local 2, the largest union in Ontario's horseracing sector, had been advocating for a reversal since the OLG's announcement on September 29, 2025.
Workers at the slots and the racetrack remain covered by collective bargaining agreements through 2029 and 2028.
Kawartha Downs has been pursuing long-term redevelopment plans, including substantial investment aimed at transforming the site into a year-round destination.
The slots operation serves as the anchor tenancy supporting these expansion ambitions and is a key revenue source for the property. Ontario's horseracing sector supports more than 30,000 jobs across rural and regional communities.
The OLG's decision allows the venues to continue operating while contractual discussions move forward.
Recent regulatory activity in Ontario includes the Court of Appeal's November ruling authorizing provinces to run online gaming programs outside their borders, under provincial control, which industry analysts say could reshape how gaming models evolve across Canada in the coming years.
Ontario's horseracing and gaming industries support tens of thousands of jobs across the province, many of them located in smaller and rural communities
