Asia Gaming Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 81 Week of 7 September 2026
(1) Hong Kong Jockey Club recorded record HK$331.7 billion in betting and lottery turnover
The Hong Kong Jockey Club reported a record HK$331.7 billion in total betting and lottery turnover for the 2025/26 financial year, up 3.6% year-on-year, while racecourse visitor numbers more than doubled.
(2) Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Conghua racing postponed indefinitely amid mainland risk concerns
The Hong Kong Jockey Club has indefinitely postponed the first world-class regular race meeting planned for Conghua Racecourse in Guangzhou after receiving a “latest risk assessment” from mainland authorities, with no new date announced.
(3) New racing season opened with betting down 7% but visitor numbers up 74%
The 2026/27 Hong Kong racing season opened at Sha Tin with total turnover of about HK$1.291 billion, down 7.1% year-on-year, while attendance rose and the number of visitors surged 74%.
(4) Macau casino commission rates rose to record 20.9% amid competition for premium mass players
Macau’s six casino concessionaires saw gaming commissions and promotional expenses reach a record 20.9% of gross gaming revenue in the second quarter, reflecting intense competition for high-value mass-market customers.
1. Hong Kong Jockey Club recorded record HK$331.7 billion in betting and lottery turnover
(Photo Credit: RTHK)
Football betting turnover reached HK$179 billion and horse-racing turnover HK$143.3 billion, both rising 3.6%. Mark Six lottery turnover increased 4.2% to HK$9.4 billion. The Club contributed HK$39.3 billion to the community, including HK$29.3 billion in betting duty and profits tax, plus approved charitable donations of HK$8.6 billion.
Racing tourism performed particularly strongly, with more than 400,000 visitors attending racecourses during the season, a year-on-year increase of 105%. The Club highlighted the success of its strategy to attract inbound tourists to the sport.
Looking ahead, the Club said it respects the government’s decision to suspend the issue of a basketball betting licence. It warned that without a legal channel, the illegal basketball betting market is likely to expand further, bringing associated social and crime-related problems.
The Club also noted that heavy recent investment in technology and the Conghua Racecourse means returns will take time to materialise fully. Operating surplus is expected to decline in the coming years, and cost-reduction measures have already been implemented.
News Source: https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1868583-20260902.htm
2. Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Conghua racing postponed indefinitely amid mainland risk concerns
(Photo Credit: RFI)
The inaugural international-standard race meeting had been scheduled for 31 October 2026 at the Club’s Conghua facility. The sudden postponement follows the earlier suspension of basketball betting legalisation, marking a second major setback for the Club’s expansion plans.
Commentators have linked the decision to concerns over illegal gambling and potential capital outflows from mainland China. Although Conghua Racecourse does not offer on-site betting, advanced technology makes it difficult to prevent offshore illegal wagering linked to the races, which could facilitate untraceable fund flows.
The Club has invested more than HK$10 billion in the 150-hectare Conghua complex, including a grandstand seating 9,500. Without betting revenue, recovering the investment through training, equestrian events or racing tourism alone is viewed as extremely challenging.
The postponement underscores policy uncertainty surrounding cross-border racing initiatives in the Greater Bay Area. Until concerns over illegal gambling and capital controls are resolved, regular racing at Conghua is expected to remain difficult to resume.
3. New racing season opened with betting down 7% but visitor numbers up 74%
(Photo Credit: Ming Pao)
Nearly 44,000 people attended the opening meeting, up 1.5% from the previous season’s opener. More than 12,200 were visitors, a sharp 74% increase that the Jockey Club’s Chief Executive Officer Mr. Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges GBS JP described as a new record for a race day and clear evidence of the success of racing tourism.
The card featured ten local races plus two overseas simulcasts. Champion sprinter Ka Ying Rising, ridden by Zac Purton, won the HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup and extended its winning streak to 21 races while setting a new Sha Tin 1,200-metre course record of 1:06.11.
Chief Executive John Lee attended the opening ceremony and later noted that racing is both a distinctive Hong Kong cultural icon and an important driver of the “mega-event economy.” He pointed to the more than 400,000 mainland and overseas visitors who attended Sha Tin and Happy Valley in the previous season as proof that the government’s racing-tourism policy is delivering results.
Despite the soft betting figure on opening day, the strong visitor growth reinforces the Club’s dual strategy of maintaining local wagering while expanding the sport’s appeal to inbound tourists.
4. Macau casino commission rates rose to record 20.9% amid competition for premium mass players
(Photo Credit: Exmoo News)
According to CBRE, the elevated ratio was partly driven by a lower VIP win rate that reduced the Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) base. In absolute terms, commission spending actually fell 5% from the first quarter because overall gaming revenue was higher earlier in the year.
Operators continue to deploy free hotel rooms, dining, transport, cash rebates and loyalty benefits to attract premium mass players. These reinvestment costs reduce the proportion of revenue that converts into Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortisation (EBITDA) and keep profit margins under pressure.
CBRE expects absolute commission spending to rise further in the second half, although the ratio as a percentage of GGR may stabilise if there are no major swings in luck. Macau’s August GGR was MOP21.9 billion, down 1.2% year-on-year.
Market observers will watch the National Day holiday period, premium-mass demand and individual operators’ market shares to assess whether the current level of promotional intensity can be sustained or translated into lasting revenue growth.
News Source: https://www.exmoo.com/article/265243.html
