Woodbine Entertainment Group Aug. 24 said it will close its Turf Lounge off-track wagering facility in the Toronto financial district effective Sept. 5.
The Turf Lounge is a more upscale wagering parlor with a fine-dining restaurant. WEG officials said it will instead expand its betting parlor inside Shoeless Joe's Sports Grill, which is located a short walk from the Turf Lounge.
"Consistent with our evolving strategy and recent announcements, the focus is to continue building our world-class horseracing and entertainment business," WEG chief operating officer Sean Pinsonneault said in a release. "We are leveraging our tremendous assets and, with our aggressive expansion of the Champions network throughout the province and the strong customer appeal of our live racing products, wagering trends are exceeding our expectations."
WEG said it is working on an "enhanced wagering experience" at Shoeless Joe's, which is a branded Champions location. There will be expanded floor space dedicated to racing and more terminals, televisions, and racetracks available to watch and wager upon.
In addition, there are several other Champions off-track wagering facilities in the downtown core, as well as the newly redesigned HPIbet Internet and mobile offerings, WEG said.