Earlier this week, the Hamilton Spectator published a feature article on the potential economic impacts if the province’s ‘slots and trots’ revenue-sharing program is eliminated. Here’s what the article included:

• The owner of  – the Great Canadian Gaming Company – has $100 million in capital invested in Flamboro Downs
• The 800 slot machines at Flamboro Downs generated $123 million last year
• The City of Hamilton got $4.6 million in slot machine royalties last year
• Flamboro Downs pays $800,000 in property taxes annually
• More than 600 people are employed at Flamboro Downs ‘slots and trots’
• Flamboro Downs purchases $5 million worth of local goods and services a year
• The Flamboro Downs ‘slots and trots’ payroll is $16 million annually
• 72 percent of ‘slots and trots’ employees live in the ‘new’ Hamilton

From the above it is easy to see what this devastating ‘double whammy’ (end of ‘slots and trots’ revenue sharing with the Ontario horse racing industry and putting a new casino somewhere in Hamilton other than at Flamboro Downs) would have on Flamborough’s economy. Lets hope that Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale MPP Ted McMeekin – the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in the Dalton McGuinty provincial Cabinet – and his blue-ribbon bi-partisan commission can pull a rabbit out of their collective hats in order to prevent this potential economic catastrophe.