Regulations Amending the Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations: SOR/2023-87

Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 157, Number 10

Registration
SOR/2023-87 May 1, 2023

CRIMINAL CODE

The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food makes the annexed Regulations Amending the Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations under paragraph 204(9)(d)footnote a of the Criminal Code footnote b.

Ottawa, April 21, 2023

Marie-Claude Bibeau
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Regulations Amending the Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations

Amendment

1 Paragraph 1(d) of the schedule to the Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations footnote 1 is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order:

Coming into Force

2 These Regulations come into force on the day on which they are registered.

REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS STATEMENT

(This statement is not part of the Regulations.)

Description

The Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations (the Regulations) are designed to protect the integrity of pari-mutuel betting on horse races authorized under section 204 of the Criminal Code. Drugs and medications administered to race horses could affect the outcome of a pari-mutuel race. Drugs that are veterinary medications approved for sale in Canada may be administered to a horse but, with few exceptions, including vitamins and some antiparasitic and antimicrobial agents, must not be present in a horse’s system when it races.

This amendment adds the drug bupivacaine to the Schedule of prohibited drugs in the Regulations.

Alternatives

There are no appropriate alternatives.

Benefits and costs

The impact of this amendment will be positive because the prohibition of a potentially performance-altering drug will continue to protect the bettor, the integrity of the racing industry, and the efficacy of the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency’s (CPMA) Equine Drug Control Program.

There are no significant costs or environmental impact associated with this regulatory amendment.

Consultation

The CPMA consults with its drug advisory committee, consisting of veterinarians, pharmacologists and chemists, when proposing to add a drug to the Schedule. The Committee supports this regulatory action.

Bupivacaine is a local anesthetic that temporarily blocks the sensation of pain to the area in which it is applied, therefore allowing a lame horse to potentially perform better than it would have without the benefit of the product. The addition of this substance to section 1 of the Schedule is consistent with the approach taken for similar products already included in the List of Drugs.

Compliance

Information on additions to the Schedule is provided to all industry sectors, so that those responsible may make responsible decisions respecting the administration of drugs and medicaments to race horses.

Compliance with the CPMA’s Equine Drug Control Program is accomplished by the testing of post-race samples of urine or blood taken from race horses. Positive results are reported to the provincial racing commissions for appropriate action under their Rules of Racing.

This amendment will not increase the current requirements for compliance and enforcement activities.

Contact

Lydia Brooks
Manager Research and Analysis
Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
P.O. Box 5904, LCD Merivale
Ottawa, Ontario
K2C 3X7
Telephone: 613‑949‑0745
Email: lydia.brooks@agr.gc.ca