Macau will host horse racing for the final time on Saturday, March 30, at Taipa racecourse, after the Macau government announced the concession to run horse racing would cease on April 11. The government said racing activities were "failing to generate the economic and social benefits they should", and the Macau Horse Racing Company admitted to severe financial difficulties and an accumulated loss of over 2.5 billion patacas (US$310 million)1.
The closure was announced in January, giving the sport roughly 75 days to wind down, compared with the more than a year Singapore's racing industry was given before its own end this October1. The Macau Jockey Club (MJC), once the baby of the late Stanley Ho Hung-sun and now led by his fourth wife Angela Leong On-kei, has run a jurisdiction plagued by falling turnover, fewer races, dwindling horse numbers and ageing facilities1. The horse population once soared past 1,2001.
Saturday's card has 14 races, giving a good chunk of the roughly 200 horses left in Macau one final run1. Trainers, jockeys and stable staff wrote to the city's leader Ho Iat-seng last month demanding "reasonable compensation" for losing their livelihoods, pointing to the sport's nearly 25-year contract extension in 2018 as reason to believe they would have a lifelong and reliable career1. Owners also held a press conference to request compensation, saying they had been assured racing would continue, only to be told the MJC had no intention of meeting their demands1.
The MJC has agreed to subsidize horse transport, offering a maximum of HK$30,000 for those going to mainland China and HK$200,000 to travel a horse overseas, but there is still significant uncertainty around how much money will actually be handed over and what compensation will look like for retiring horses1. Horses are permitted to remain on site until March 2025 while the rehoming process is finalized1. The MJC said in a statement that "due to the subsequent arrangements following the termination of the horse racing operating contract, we apologize that we are not able to accommodate any media requests"1.
"It's such a sad ending. I think people will only feel it properly once it's over. Everyone is just going through the motions for the last meeting."
Lau, who was there for the MJC's first thoroughbred race in 1989 and will be there for its last, said he expects a good turnout and is unsure what comes next, adding he will stay at the stable to make sure the horses are looked after1.
What it means for players
Horse racing at Taipa ends after Saturday's meeting, so there will be no further local race meetings to bet on in Macau from April 11. The sources do not say what happens to existing bets, accounts or outstanding pools, and the MJC has not commented beyond its statement declining media requests1. Betting on horse racing in Macau has until now been tied to the MJC's operation; readers looking at sports betting in Macau or gambling in the city more broadly can find the general licensing picture on the Macau guide. For racing elsewhere in the region, including the types of horse racing in Asia and racing seasons by jurisdiction, those markets continue independently of Macau's closure.
What happens next
Horses may stay on site until March 2025 while rehoming is finalized1. Compensation for staff and owners remains unresolved, with the MJC not having confirmed amounts1.
