How Do I Fill In a KEIRIN Mark Sheet?

What a KEIRIN mark sheet is

KEIRIN is Japanese track cycling, run as a public sport with betting at its core. If you go to a racecourse or a ticket outlet, the mark sheet is how you tell the staff what you want to bet on. It is a single sheet of paper with grids of small circles, and you fill it in with a pencil before you reach the counter.

The sheet exists because there is a lot to specify. A single bet is not just "rider number 5." It is a race number, a betting method, a combination of riders and a number of tickets, all bundled together⁶. The mark sheet lets you lay all of that out in one pass so the window staff or the machine can read it quickly.

The official guidance is simple: mark boldly in pencil, and be aware that the exact layout can differ from one sheet to another⁷. If you pick up a sheet at a different venue or a different outlet, the boxes may sit in a different order. Read the headings before you start filling anything in.

If you want the wider picture of how the bets and odds work before you touch a sheet, the KEIRIN betting explained guide covers the bet types and how payouts are calculated.

Filling in the marks: race, type and selections

Work through the sheet in order. Most sheets follow the same logic, even when the layout shifts.

Step 1: the venue and the race. Mark which race meeting you are betting on and which race number. On the online version of the same process, races 1R through 12R can be selected, but a race that has already finished cannot be chosen, and you cannot pick a race when your betting method is Kimeuchi or Dokanto!⁸. The same logic applies on paper: you are betting on a race that has not run yet.

Step 2: the bet type. KEIRIN offers seven standard types plus two multi-race tickets. The seven are:

• 2-frame place (2枠複)
• 2-frame win (2枠単)
• 2-rider place (2車複)
• 2-rider win (2車単)
• 3-rider place (3連複)
• 3-rider win (3連単)
• Wide (ワイド)

The two multi-race tickets are Dokanto!7 and Dokanto!4two³. Each type has its own row or block on the sheet, so mark the one you want first.

Step 3: the rider numbers. This is where the bet type decides how many numbers you fill in. For a 3-rider ticket such as 3連単 or 3連複, you fill in numbers down to third place. For a 2-rider ticket such as 2連単 or 2連複, you fill in numbers down to second place⁹. Get the order right for the "win" (単) types, because the finishing order matters. For the "place" (複) types, the order does not.

Step 4: the amount. Mark how much you want to stake and how many tickets. On the mark card you fill in the amount and the unit⁸. Mark boldly in pencil, and check the card itself, since specifications can differ from one marksheet to another¹⁰.

Step 5: check before you queue. Run your eye over the sheet once. A mis-marked circle is the most common reason a first-timer has to go back and start again.

A quick reference for what each bet type asks you to mark:

The same mark-sheet habit shows up across Japanese public racing. At Kanazawa Racecourse, for example, the mark card is the standard way to buy a betting ticket, and there are three types of card with different features¹. Boat race works the same way: tickets are bought at the counter using mark sheets and similar forms¹¹. Once you have filled in one of these sheets, you have the skill for all of them.

Where to buy your ticket once the sheet is complete

Take your completed sheet to the window or to an automatic ticket machine and buy your betting ticket there¹⁰. That is the whole transaction. You hand over the sheet, pay, and receive the printed ticket.

If you are at a racecourse, the windows are usually grouped by bet type, so check the signs before you join a line. Automatic ticket machines are often faster and take the same sheet. Both accept cash.

If you would rather not use paper at all, KEIRIN runs telephone and internet voting. You need to register, and the terms are strict about one thing: subscribers must place their own bets and cannot have someone else apply or buy on their behalf⁴. The same rule appears in the net bank service terms, where subscribers must apply themselves and cannot buy tickets on commission from others¹². So a friend cannot fill in a sheet and buy for you, and you cannot buy for a friend.

For the online side of KEIRIN, including how accounts work, see KEIRIN.JP and Chariloto.

There is also a points program for internet voting members. Points are awarded according to how much a member bets, though refunds and bets placed through private sites do not count toward them¹³. You cannot bet with the points themselves, only earn them¹⁴. If you want to use them, you need a separate point membership registration¹⁴.

One more practical note: if you buy through telephone voting, your voting records are kept for 60 days⁴, and purchased tickets held in custody can be viewed within 60 days of the race at a place the association designates⁶. If you think you may need to check a ticket later, that window is worth remembering.

Who can bet: the age rules for public racing

You must be at least 20 years old to buy a betting ticket at a Japanese racecourse. At Kanazawa Racecourse, the rule is stated plainly: persons under 20 years old may not buy betting tickets¹. The Horse Racing Act sets the same floor for horse betting, barring anyone under 20 from buying or receiving a winning ticket¹⁵.

This applies to everyone at the window, not just Japanese citizens. Visitors and foreign residents are held to the same age rule. Bring photo ID that shows your date of birth, because staff can ask to verify it.

There is one piece of good news for older fans. In the past, students over 20 were not allowed to bet on horse racing, but the rules changed, and now anyone over 20 can buy betting tickets¹⁶. That restriction is gone.

For comparison, the minimum age is not the same everywhere in the region. In Hong Kong, only people aged 18 or over may take part in betting¹⁷, and the Jockey Club there may not accept bets from anyone under 18¹⁸. Japan's public racing floor of 20 is higher. If you are between 18 and 20 and used to betting in Hong Kong, you cannot do the same in Japan.

Where KEIRIN fits among Japan's legal betting sports

KEIRIN is one of a small group of betting activities that are legal in Japan. The others include boat race, horse racing and the toto and BIG sports lotteries. Each is run under public or government oversight, each has its own ticket system and its own minimum age.

The toto and BIG lotteries work differently from KEIRIN. You reserve your purchase on the website in advance, a QR code is issued, and you present that code at a shop counter, pay and receive your ticket²⁰. If you are buying on a PC, you print the QR code and bring it to the counter²¹. It is a two-step process rather than a walk-up purchase.

What is not legal is the part people most often ask about. Traditional cash games for money are illegal, and there are currently no legal casinos or live poker rooms in Japan⁵. A second application window for the remaining two casino licenses opened in 2026, with Nagasaki and Hokkaido seen as the front-runners, but nothing is open to the public yet⁵. If you are planning a trip around a Japanese casino, there is nothing to plan around yet.

Online casinos are a separate and clearer matter. Gambling on online casinos from Japan is a crime even when the operator is legally run overseas¹⁹. That applies to residents and visitors alike. Players have been prosecuted for using offshore casino sites, and beyond the legal risk there is no regulator to complain to if a site refuses to pay.

If you want the full picture of what is and is not allowed in the country, the Japan gambling guide covers the licensed sports, the age rules and the current casino situation in one place. For the mechanics of the bets themselves, KEIRIN betting explained goes deeper on odds and payouts, and boat race betting explained covers the sister sport, which uses the same mark-sheet habit at the counter.