Hiawatha Horse Park to cease slots gaming as OLG ends lease agreement with Gateway Casinos

Gateway Casinos will cease operating its slots facility at Hiawatha Horse Park in Sarnia, Ontario, by March 31, 2026, according to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG). The site currently has about 150 machines.

“I am writing to formally notify you that the lease agreement for Gateway Casino Sarnia will terminate on March 31, 2026, and will not be extended,” OLG Senior Vice President Michelle Eaton said in a letter to Sarnia Chief Administrator Chris Carter. “This means that casino operations will cease and the casino will close on or before March 31, 2026.”

Eaton added that OLG will work with property owners and Gateway to ensure “an efficient and timely decommissioning process.”

Impact on local operations

Jim Henderson, owner of the horse park, said the decision will require adjustments. “We didn’t have it for eight years before,” Henderson said, as per The Sarnia Observer. “We’ll just have to work something else.”

He noted that about 60 to 70 staff work at the facility, with another 30 involved in horse racing operations. Attendance at race nights reached into the thousands this summer, including more than 5,000 people during a promotional night in August.

“Gaming, horse racing together, it works hand in hand,” Henderson said, adding that the slots closure would affect the racetrack.

Political and economic reactions

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley raised concerns over the economic impact and requested an explanation from Ontario Premier Doug Ford. “The expected job loss, while we struggle with the impacts of the US tariff war, is unacceptable from a government agency that give(s) no rationale,” Bradley said in an email.

Sarnia has directed about CAD400,000 in OLG hosting revenue from 2024-25 toward a new playground in Germain Park. Between April 1 and June 30, the city received CAD103,700 from OLG. Since the slots program began in 1999, Sarnia has received CAD28.1 million.

End of temporary slots program

The current operation stems from the Optional Slots at Racetracks Program (OSARP), introduced in 2019 as a temporary measure to support eligible racetracks. The program reinstated a smaller slots site at Hiawatha in January 2020, following the closure of a 450-machine venue in 2012 under a prior provincial government.

“From the outset, OSARP was scheduled to end on March 31, 2026, with the casino lease not being extended, and partners being made aware during the process,” OLG Spokesperson Tony Bitonti said in a statement.

Eaton confirmed OLG will continue payments to Sarnia in 2026-27, equivalent to the amount received in 2025-26, even after the casino closes.