Ontario Collaborates with New Jersey on a Cross-Border Harness Racing Wager

Cross-border collaboration is often times a great way to unite people around an idea that enjoys their attention. Meadowlands Racetrack and Woodbine Entertainment are going to join forces and bring something new to wagering fans hailing from both Canada and the US. The collaboration goes by the name of Can-Am Pick4 and March 22 is projected to see its first edition.

New Jersey wagering enthusiasts are familiar with Meadowlands Racetrack located in East Rutherford. Canadian players interested in parlay betting also enjoy the racecourses providing them with the chance to bet on more than one sports event. This March would be a special one for them, as it would involve both the racetrack in New Jersey and Woodbine Mohawk Park situated in the vicinity of Milton, Ontario.

Joint Wager Promises Shorter Drag

As many as four harness races are going to be involved in this diverse gaming offering, two of them hosted by each of the locations. This exciting opportunity is projected to attract the attention of players from both America and Canada, especially due to the large popularity of betting across New Jersey, which is one of the leaders in the sector.

More details on the wager were recently issued, as the special date is rapidly approaching. The Can-Am Pick-4 wager is going to feature a minimum bet reaching some 20 percent, in addition to a 15-percent takeout that could be defined as a relatively low one. This could attract more individuals to the special event, but there are some improvements that could make the experience more pleasant for everyone.

The two management companies have promised to work towards reducing post time drags on the regular events that promise to transform Friday Nights for people interested in horseracing. This would mean that post time drag would be reduced to about five minutes, including mandatory factors to the likes of posting, the countdown clock, horses calling, and start.

Racetracks Collaborate Next Friday

Jason Settlemoir, Meadowlands’ Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, stated that efforts in this direction show interest towards the player experience. Since drags are a common occurrence in the horseracing world, the change towards better would not happen overnight. The first step would be made on March 22 and projections are that this would be a mandatory feature of the Can-Am Pick 4.

This new offering joins the existing Pick-4 action happening both in New Jersey and Ontario. Pools for the cross-border wager would be separate, but gaming revenue would be shared by the two locations. Once several events have taken place the interest rate is going to be estimated, potentially resulting in the addition of regular events on Saturdays. The two locations do not want to compete and have players having to make the decision where to bet.

Klaus Ebner, Senior Manager of Simulcast Services for Woodbine, is content with the results and looking forward to seeing levels of interest next Friday. Woodbine Entertainment was recently involved in a controversial situation that supposedly puts at risk some 2,600 Kawartha Downs horsepeople represented by Ontario Harness Horse Association. Elimination and no funding as of March 31 threaten the union.