Quebec gets online horse race wagering

HorsePlayer Interactive, the Woodbine Entertainment Group's online account-wagering platform, now is available in Quebec.

Woodbine and Le Club Jockey du Quebec announced the agreement on Thursday. Le Club Jockey du Quebec is a not-for-profit organization formed in June 2009 by a group of horse owners.

The province's last Standardbred racetrack closed in October 2009, and residents have had no legal outlet through which to wager on horse racing since then.

The five-year Woodbine deal includes full participation in the HorsePlayer Interactive rewards program, which will offer rebates to players on a weekly basis.

Quebec will match takeouts from Canadian tracks and will adopt Ontario strategies for takeouts on foreign tracks.

"Some of the country's most enthusiastic racing fans live in Quebec, so we are thrilled to offer HorsePlayer Interactive to them," said Sean Pinsonneault, Woodbine's vice president of wagering services.

HorsePlayer Interactive now provides wagering services to all provinces except Manitoba.