The 32-year-old opened a temporary 200-slot-machine casino at the Cloverdale horse racing track in April and says revenues from that facility are exceeding expectations, though he won't be specific.

Keeling became the general manager of both of Orangeville Raceway Ltd.'s B.C. tracks - Fraser Downs and Vancouver Island's Sandown Park - when he was 24 years old. His father Jim Keeling had died in a drowning accident and Orangeville's directors saw promise in the next Keeling generation.

Since then, Keeling has grown the Fraser Downs payroll from 200 to 250 employees, and he expects to have about 300 staff within eight months. That's when construction is slated to be complete on a renovated racetrack that will be home to 400 slot machines.

Including contractors such as jockeys and trainers, more than 1,000 people make their living at Fraser Downs. A further 125 people earn their livelihood at Sandown Park, where Keeling expects to start to make site improvements soon.

Outside work, Keeling is a director of Teletheatre BC, which operates all off-track betting in BC. He is also a director at Standardbred Canada, which registers Canadian horses and industry participants and at the Winners Foundation, a charity providing counselling to industry workers who have substance abuse or gambling problems. His other directorships include the Greener Pastures Society, which provides homes for former racehorses and at the BC Harness Racing Hall of Fame where he is a founding director.

The total amount bet on horse races at Fraser Downs "has been stagnant the past eight years, which is the whole rationale for us to kick-start the industry through other kinds of gaming," he said. "We're about to see some explosive growth."

Profession you would like to try: Pro soccer player

Where do you feel most comfortable? Sitting on a boat in a lake

Currently reading: Road to Hell: How the Biker Gangs are Conquering Canada by Julian Sher and William Marsden

Toughest decision: Terminating an employee

Car: Ford Explorer

Would most like to meet: Bill Veeck, the former baseball team owner who sent a midget out to hit because he would have a small strike zone

Birthplace: London, Ontario

Last CD bought: A CD by the band the Tea Party

Education: BA from SFU

What's left to do: Build two helicopter pads in the infields of our two racetracks and buy a helicopter so I can easily commute