Dear Harness Enthusiast,

Re: Application for Gaming Machines at Addington Raceway

Your help please

The Harness Racing Industry and the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club (NZMTC) urgently requires your support. The NZMTC has recently applied to Christchurch City Council for a Class 4 Venue Licence to allow gaming machines to be installed and operated on site at Addington Raceway.

Addington is the only major harness racing venue in New Zealand that does not own or operate gaming machines on site. Without gaming machines and the profits that they generate, Addington can no longer compete with other major harness venues and in particular the Auckland Trotting Club who are able to pay out significantly higher stakemoney per race because they have 18 gaming machines on site.

Harness Racing is responsible for the creation of 5000 jobs and $143M in economic activity in the Canterbury region. Without gaming machines at Addington, the NZMTC fears that many Canterbury based trainers and horses will relocate to Auckland over time and that the health and vitality of Canterbury Harness Racing and the jobs and economic contribution that it provides to the region will be significantly reduced.

With gaming machines at Addington, the NZMTC believes that it will be able to retain participants in Canterbury and preserve both jobs and the economic contribution that harness racing provides for the region. To assist in making this a reality, we require your urgent support. Christchurch City Council takes a hardline stance on gaming machine applications and to have any chance of success, the NZMTC needs to demonstrate to Council that there is significant support within the community for gaming machines at Addington.

We urge you to register your support via email.

You can do so by emailing info@addington.co.nz and stating your name and address and include in your message “I support the NZMTC in its application for an exemption to Council policy to allow a venue license for Gaming Machines on site at Addington Raceway and I agree as a racecourse venue it is a special case. I confirm I am NOT under 18 years of age”

Thank-you for your consideration and support.

Kind Regards

Shane Gloury
Chief Executive Officer