A proposal has been tabled with Hong Kong’s Legislative Council to increase the number of non-local horse races being simulcast on local race days in the SAR to 40 during the 2025/26 season and to 55 in the 2026/27 racing season.
Currently there are 25 non-local simulcast races broadcast per season.
Under a proposed amendment to Hong Kong’s betting duty bill, it’s proposed to also increase the maximum number of non-local simulcast races on non-local race days from 37 to 53 days in the 2025/26 season, rising to 70 days for the following season.
The proposal is based on the significant increase in the amount of local bets on simulcast racing – rising by 135 percent from the 2019/20 financial year to the 2023/24 financial year – totaling HK$10.59 billion ($1.35 billion), after the maximum number of simulcast races was increased.
In addition, the Hong Kong Jockey Club indicates that there were double-digit reductions in the amount of illegal betting website visitations following the increase of the simulcast races.
Authorities indicate that ‘while we do not have a policy to promote the international standing of HKJC’s horse racing, maintaining HKJC’s position in the international horse racing industry is arguably in line with the Government’s objective of telling good stories of Hong Kong’.
Under the current license, the HKJC is only allowed to conduct betting on no more than 88 local race days, 25 simulcast races and 37 simulcast days (which consist of no more than 12 non-local races per day) per racing season.
The HKJC estimates that the alteration to the legislation could add around HK$1.82 billion ($231.85 million) in additional betting duty from the 2025/26 to 2028/29 racing season.
The validity period of the current license runs until August of this year.
