OLG and Woodbine Partner in Online Horse Racing Deal

The move makes OLG the first Canadian provincial lottery and gaming agency to provide a digital horse racing betting option for its players.

Ziv Chen

Last Updated: August 13, 2025 3:23 PM EDT • 2 minute read

OLG and Woodbine Partner in Online Horse Racing Deal — Pictured: A bay filly. Photo by Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner via Imagn Images.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) and the Woodbine Entertainment Group have made a deal that will enable OLG customers to place bets on live horse races across the province through OLG.ca and the OLG mobile app.

The move makes OLG in the Ontario sports betting market the first Canadian provincial lottery and gaming agency to provide a digital horse racing betting option for its players. The platform, which HPIbet powers, allows users to wager on live races from Ontario tracks as well as international events.

Highlighted events include The King’s Plate at Woodbine Racetrack, which is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 16.

OLG's Chief Gaming Officer, Dave Pridmore, said the launch was an important step in the company’s efforts to support competitive and sustainable horse racing in Ontario. Residents will want to brush up on how to bet on horse racing ahead of placing bets.

"It's another step forward for the growth of horse racing in Ontario, and we're grateful to OLG for their continued support and willingness to collaborate and innovate alongside us,” added the Chief Executive Officer of Woodbine Entertainment, Michael Copeland.

All horse racing wagers through the Ontario sports betting app will be conducted under Canada’s pari-mutuel system. Players contribute to a shared pool in this system, and winners divide the pot. It is the only legal form of horse racing betting in the country.

Kambi to replace FDJ as OLG’s sports betting partner

In a separate development, sports betting provider Kambi Group is set to replace La Française des Jeux (FDJ) as the OLG’s long-term sports betting partner. As per the agreement, Kambi will assume FDJ’s existing contract with the OLG until 2032.

FDJ cited a strategic refocus on its international operations as the reason for the transition. Kambi will also take on FDJ’s contractual responsibilities, including managing OLG’s sports betting platform. Completion of the transfer will require an initial investment by Kambi and is subject to regulatory approval.

OLG, the provincial agency responsible for gaming facilities, lottery operations, and online sports betting, opened the market to multiple operators in April 2022 after previously holding a monopoly. These days, it has to compete with the best sportsbooks in Canada.

“The prospect of partnering with an organisation of the size and stature of OLG is an exciting one for Kambi and we are working diligently to complete the novation process with FDJ and launch later this year. Ontario has a competitive online market, but I believe a combination of OLG and Kambi will see PROLINE rightly compete with market leaders while continuing to raise the bar of its retail product,” said Werner Becher, Kambi Group Chief Executive Officer.

The parties expect the multi-channel migration to be completed in the second half of 2025.

Written by:
Ziv Chen

Ziv has over two decades of experience in the igaming and sports betting industry, having served in senior marketing and business development positions with both B2C and B2B companies, including Playtech and Microgaming. In 2019, Ziv decided to pursue his passion for writing and became a fulltime industry journalist, covering casino, sports, and gambling business news. He’s specialties include casino games and technology, US state gambling regulation, company performance, as well as gambling affiliates and marketing. As a Pitt graduate, Ziv is a diehard fan of all Pittsburgh sports teams, with the Steelers at the top of the list. In his free time, he enjoys reading crime fiction, biographies (mainly of sports personalities, but not only) and American history. Ziv’s Favorite quote: “We're going to pursue perfection, knowing full well we won't catch it, but we're going to relentlessly chase it," Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach.