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The raceway

The raceway around the casino

Playtime Casino Hanover, at 275 5th Street, stands on the grounds of Hanover Raceway, a harness racing track. This page covers the track, the theatre at the back of the casino and how they came together, but not race dates.

Added up by the Tally deskChecked October 13, 2026

The harness track next to the casino

Harness racing is horse racing with a cart behind the horse. A Standardbred horse pulls a driver in a light two-wheeled cart, rather than carrying a rider on its back. Standardbred is the name of the breed used for this kind of racing.

Hanover Raceway is at 265 5th Street, on the same grounds as the casino. The Hanover, Bentinck & Brant Agricultural Society runs the track. Racing takes place in a summer season, and the race dates are posted on hanoverraceway.com.

On race days, admission is free and fans park for free. A grandstand concession sells burgers, fries, hot dogs, snacks and drinks. It is open during live racing only. The raceway is also licensed to sell alcohol while the horses are running.

Flat illustration of a harness racing track at golden hour: a white-railed dirt oval, a small covered grandstand, a red barn and an empty two-wheeled racing cart.
Generated illustration, not a picture of the casino

The simulcast theatre at the back

The Hanover Raceway Simulcast Theatre is at the back of the casino. A simulcast is a live broadcast of a horse race from another track. The theatre shows these races on screens and takes wagers on them.

Its hours are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. On Friday and Saturday they run from 12 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday are different: the TVs stay on, but no staff are on site. Holiday hours should be checked on the venue's own site.

  1. 2001Gaming opens at the raceway on February 21.
  2. 2017Gateway takes over the Southwest Gaming Bundle in May.
  3. 2019Grand opening in the Carriage Hall, in April.

How the casino came to the raceway

The gaming site at the raceway opened on February 21, 2001. In May 2017, Gateway bought the Southwest Gaming Bundle, which included the slots at Hanover Raceway. The deal came with a 20-year operating agreement with OLG. In Ontario, OLG conducts and manages all casino gaming, private companies run the sites day to day, and the AGCO regulates them.

An $18 million expansion followed. It moved the casino into the agricultural society's Carriage Hall, at the back of the old building. The casino also got a new name: Playtime Casino Hanover. Its grand opening was in April 2019. Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited runs it under the Playtime brand.

Short answers

Does it cost anything to watch the harness races?
Watching is free on race days: admission costs nothing and fans park for free. The grandstand concession sells food and drinks during live racing only.
Where are race dates posted?
Race dates are posted on hanoverraceway.com, not in this guide.
Can someone bet on horses in the winter?
Live harness racing in Hanover runs in a summer season. The Hanover Raceway Simulcast Theatre, at the back of the casino, shows races from other tracks and takes wagers. Its hours are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 12 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. On Sunday and Wednesday the TVs are on, with no staff on site. Holiday hours should be checked on the venue's own site.

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