Boat Race Betting Explained: Kyotei and Kyungjeong Bet Types and Odds

What kyotei is and how a race works

Kyotei, usually written as BOAT RACE in English, is a six-boat race on a circular water course. The boats run counterclockwise for three laps of 600 meters each, so the race distance is 1,800 meters². Six boats line up for each race, and a day of racing at a venue has 12 races⁶.

The race is not a straight sprint. After the boats cross the start line they turn at marker 1 and then marker 2, and the ranking is decided over the full three laps⁷. Because the course is a loop, the lane you draw matters: the smaller the boat number, the better the race position⁶. Boat 1 has the inside line, boat 6 the widest.

Each boat has a fixed color that matches its number, and the colors are the same at every venue: 1 white, 2 black, 3 red, 4 blue, 5 yellow and 6 green⁸. If you cannot read the numbers from where you are sitting, you can follow the race by color alone.

Racers are ranked in four categories, A1, A2, B1 and B2, according to their winning levels⁶. That ranking is printed in the race program and is one of the things regulars look at before picking a boat.

The flying start: how the race begins

Boat race does not use a standing start. It uses a flying start, where the boats must cross the start line within a set time rather than waiting for a gun⁷. The six boats leave the pit area together, then warm up by sprinting clockwise around marker 2 and the shortcut prevention buoy before turning to approach the line⁹.

The timing is judged against a large clock at the venue. Boats must start between 12 and 1 on that clock, crossing the line within the prescribed start time³. Crossing the line before the clock reaches zero is a flying start, marked F, and starting one second or more late is a late start, marked L³.

Either way the boat is scratched from the race, and bets on that boat are refunded¹⁰. Because passing the line earlier than the other boats is an advantage, racers push right up to the limit, and the F and L calls are a normal part of the sport rather than a rare accident³.

One more rule worth knowing if you watch the warm-up: following in a position directly behind another boat during standby warm-up is not allowed and is judged as a violation².

The 7 bet types explained

There are seven types of betting ticket in Japanese boat race, and any of them can be bought from 100 yen¹. They range from simply picking the winner to naming the first three boats in exact order.

The two-win types ask you to fill in up to second place on the mark sheet, and the three-win types up to third place¹¹. For the quinella place bet, you are betting on two of the top three winners in any order, and when two or more boats tie for third, the combination of third-place boats does not apply².

There is also a shortcut that saves filling in every line. A box bet buys all the combinations related to the boats you selected¹². A multiple combination works the same way for three boats: you pick three and bet on all their permutations¹³. A rotation combination fixes the first or second boat and fills all the remaining boats as third⁸.

Odds and payouts: how they are calculated

Odds in boat race are the expected payout rate on a ticket. If a 100-yen ticket is given a rate of 6.2, the payout is 620 yen². As a simple example, if you predict the order 1-3, the odds would be 8.4 times the amount of your bet¹⁴.

Odds are shown on monitors inside the stadium, on the large video screens, and on the official website, so you can check them before you commit⁷. They move as money comes in on each combination, which is why the number you see early in the day is not the number you get at the off.

A worked example from the official guide: a trio bet on the 6th race at Suminoe in Osaka, with boats 1, 2 and 4 in the top three, for 1,500 yen. If it lands, the 1,500 yen is multiplied by 15.3, so the prize is 22,950 yen⁶. All payouts are in yen¹⁵.

In Korea, the confirmed payout is printed in the results with the boat number in brackets. A notation of (1)2.7 means the confirmed payout for that bet type on boat 1 is 2.7¹⁶. In a real result from meeting 37, day 1, race 2, the win bet paid 1.3 on boat 1 and 2.1 on boat 3¹⁷.

Stakes, tickets and how to place a bet

The minimum bet in Japan is 100 yen, and you can place bets for as little as that⁶. Stakes are written on a mark card in three units: hundreds of yen, thousands of yen and ten-thousands of yen. Writing 10 in the hundreds column and 2 in the thousands column means 3,000 yen¹.

A mark card asks for the venue, the race number, the ticket type, the boat numbers for first, second and third, the stake amount and the stake unit¹². Mark cards list all 24 venues across Japan, so you fill in which stadium's race you are betting on¹. You can only use pencil, and the marks need to be thick and clear. Pencils are available at every betting venue⁶.

At the venue you will find stacks of OMR betting cards and pencils, and you buy at betting machines⁵. You can also buy at the counter using mark sheets and similar forms¹⁵. Tickets can be purchased up until the deadline for each race, and the race itself starts at least a few minutes later, which gives you time to find a seat⁶.

If you would rather not handle paper at all, TELEBOAT is a membership service that lets members bet on boat races held across the country from a smartphone, anytime and anywhere¹⁸. The bet is established when your accepted vote is added to the race's sales money, and the ticket is delivered immediately and held by the association on your behalf¹⁹. The maximum for a single bet through the service is 9,999,900 yen¹⁹.

Disqualification rules and ticket refunds

The refund rule is the one piece of boat race betting that surprises first-timers most, and it is generous. If a boat is scratched before the race, all tickets for that boat are refunded²⁰. That covers a boat that crosses the line too early or too late, and in both cases the boat is withdrawn and the bets on it are refunded¹⁰.

The same applies if a race is ruled invalid. Tickets in a race judged invalid can be fully refunded, and you need to keep the ticket to claim²¹. If a boat does not start at all, tickets on it are refunded in full²².

The practical point is simple: do not throw your ticket away. The official guidance is blunt about it, telling bettors not to lose or dispose of the betting ticket¹⁰. A refund is not automatic to your account at a stadium, you present the ticket.

Korea draws the line differently. If a motorboat passes the start line normally and then fails to finish because it capsized, fell overboard, sank or for another reason, the race tickets related to that boat are not refunded. The player is disqualified under the race rules and may face sanctions such as suspension²². Korean rules do refund all bet types when only one or no player starts, when the race is not established, or when there was no winner²².

Where and when you can watch and bet

There are 24 boat race stadiums around Japan, and you must fill in the stadium number on your card according to where the race you are betting on is being held². Each stadium runs 12 races a day during a meeting².

You do not need to bet to go in. You can come to any boat race venue in Japan to watch the races, enjoy the food and check out the other attractions without placing a bet⁶. There is no need to book in advance or fuss with online tickets, and instead of a ticket you put a 100-yen coin in the gate⁵. No reservation is needed and no ticket has to be bought beforehand²³.

If you want a seat rather than a spot by the rail, paid reserved seats usually cost 1,000 to 2,000 yen depending on the type⁵. On days when the stadium you visit is not holding a race of its own, it sells betting tickets for races at other stadiums, and admission is free on those days²³.

The crowd is mixed. Boat race is a hit with adults and children, visitors and locals alike, and English commentary and subtitles are available on race replays and videos¹⁴. If you are new to Japanese racing, the keirin betting guide covers the track cycling version, which uses a similar mark card system.

Ticket shops are a smaller alternative to a full stadium. At a Boat Race Ticket Shop you watch the races on monitors and buy tickets at the counter using mark sheets¹⁵.

Korean race tickets (gyeongjukwon): limits and payment methods

Korea runs its own motorboat betting under the gyeongjukwon, or race ticket, system, and the mechanics are close to Japan's but the money rules differ.

The minimum bet is 100 won and the maximum is 100,000 won per ticket⁴. Payment at the counter can be made in cash, with a purchase voucher, or with a Green Card, which is an electronic account⁴. The following bet types are on offer⁴:

• Single win
• Place
• Quinella
• Exacta
• Trio
• Quinella place
• Trifecta

Winning and refund tickets are valid for one year⁴. That is a long window, but the ticket has to survive it: payment may be refused if part of the ticket is damaged or cannot be visually verified, especially the serial number and the barcode in the center⁴. Keep it flat and dry.

Refunds and cancellations are shown on a display with the date, counter number, a type code (CSH for a refund, CAN for a cancellation) and the amount⁴. If you are collecting a refund rather than a win, that is the record to check.

Korean results are published with the confirmed payout for each bet type, so you can look up what a race actually paid after the fact¹⁶. The notation puts the boat number in brackets before the figure, so (1)2.7 means boat 1 paid 2.7 for that bet type¹⁶.