The off-course betting shop attached to Kawasaki Racecourse, previously known as WINS Kawasaki, was renamed J-PLACE Kawasaki on April 23, 20221. The shop sells and pays out Japan Racing Association (JRA) betting tickets and sits inside the number 2 stand of the racecourse in Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture1.
The renaming came with a change to payout rules. Winning tickets bought at JRA racecourses and WINS shops can no longer be cashed at the renamed shop1. The shop's operator is the JRA, whose off-course outlets are branded J-PLACE1.
The racecourse itself is a local government racing venue, operated by the Kanagawa Prefectural Kawasaki Racing Association, a joint body made up of Kanagawa Prefecture and Kawasaki City, which leases the land and facilities from Yomiuri Land Co., Ltd.1. It opened in 1950 and stages dirt racing on a 1,200 meter left-handed oval, with a 300 meter home straight and a maximum capacity of 30,265 spectators1. The number 2 stand, which houses the betting shop, was completed in April 1997 and refurbished in February 20161.
The shop is a short walk from public transport. It is about one minute on foot from Minatomachi Station on the Keikyu Daishi Line1. The racecourse address is 1-5-5 Fujimi, Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki City1.
What it means for players
For anyone betting on JRA races in the Kawasaki area, the practical change is the name and the payout rule. Tickets bought at JRA tracks and WINS outlets can no longer be cashed at this shop1. The shop continues to sell and pay out JRA tickets under the J-PLACE name1. Local Kawasaki racing, run by the prefectural racing association, is a separate product from JRA racing, and the sources do not describe any change to local betting at the track.
What happens next
The sources do not report what replaces the shop at the racecourse, or any further JRA off-course outlet for the area.
Sources1 sources
- 川崎競馬場 - Wikipedia, ja.wikipedia.org
