Opening of the Ludoplex Québec and Hippodrome:
A Lively, Trendy, Convivial and Entertaining Destination

Québec City, December 6, 2007 – Over 700 people are expected this evening at the inauguration ceremony of Loto-Québec’s second gaming centre — Ludoplex Québec — and Sulky Québec, as the fully renovated hippodrome is now known. Both establishments are located on the ExpoCité site. Those to be at the official ceremony include Mr. Alain Cousineau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Loto-Québec, and the Honourable Paul J. Massicotte, Senator and owner of Attractions Hippiques. Representing the Québec Government will be Mr. Norman MacMillan, Chief Whip, as well as Mr. Jacques Joli Cœur, Deputy Mayor of Québec City. The event will also play host to a number of other guests from the region’s political, business, tourism and equine sectors.

Starting at 5:00 p.m., guests will enjoy a convivial and entertaining evening in a festive and relaxed atmosphere. The festivities will also be open to the general public as of 8:00 p.m. Then, at 8:30 p.m., a special programme of exciting races will kick off at the hippodrome, complete with an appearance by Les Respectables at 10:00 p.m. Back at the Ludoplex, the unique blend of fun and musical entertainment will continue until 3:00 a.m.

“The Ludoplex Québec is a brand-new destination distinguished by the superior quality of its food and beverage services and entertainment offerings,” underlines Loto-Québec President and CEO, Alain Cousineau. “It is a destination designed by our Société des salons de jeux du Québec subsidiary to be trendy, animated, colourful and convivial. At the same time, it offers an environment in which control and awareness measures are a top priority.”

For his part, Attractions Hippiques President Paul J. Massicotte is delighted to be able to offer fans a unique concept that will serve to revitalize harness racing. “We are proud to invite not only horseracing enthusiasts, but the entire population of greater Québec City to rediscover the hippodrome that we are now calling SULKY QUÉBEC. We are committed to enabling our sport to reclaim its pedigree, and to do so, we have invested more than $23 million in order to offer our clientele the very best entertainment experience available today and well into the future.”

Network Reconfiguration in the Québec City Region

With the opening of its Ludoplex, Loto-Québec is pursuing the reconfiguration of its video lottery terminal (VLT) network, as outlined in its 2004-2007 Development Plan. In so doing, and in accordance with recommendations made by experts in the field, the Corporation has made it a priority to reduce the number of establishments offering VLTs and to concentrate the units at controlled sites.

Loto-Québec’s reconfiguration effort includes an objective of diminishing the number of VLT sites in the province by close to one third. According to Mr. Cousineau, “within the National Capital region alone, this reconfiguration initiative has seen the closing of 92 sites to date. During the next two years, all VLTs will be removed from licensed establishments located within a 2.3-kilometre radius of the Ludoplex Québec, which will translate into a total reduction of 125 sites.”

Société des salons de jeux du Québec

A subsidiary of Loto-Québec created in 2005, the Société des salons de jeux du Québec’s mission is to offer electronic-type games of chance to an adult clientele, while developing and effectively and responsibly managing controlled sites in which entertainment constitutes an integral part of the customer experience.

Attractions Hippiques

The owner of hippodromes in Montréal, Trois-Rivières, Québec City and Gatineau, Attractions Hippiques’ mission is to offer its clientele and partners honest and competitive equine entertainment fuelled by a desire to innovate and excel, while dealing respectfully and responsibly with racing enthusiasts, employees, horse professionals and, of course, the animals themselves.

- 30 -

Information: 

Marie-Claude Rivet                    Renée Cardinal
Spokesperson, SSJQ                 Attractions Hippiques
514 499-7111, ext. 3030            514 739-2741, ext. 2240

Customer Service: 1 877 700-LUDO

 Subscribe to our RSS Feeds.

Share this press release: