Government approves increase in HKJC simulcast quotas

The Hong Kong Jockey Club said on 18 June 2025 that the government had approved its proposal to raise the number of non-local races it may simulcast for betting, in two stages over the 2025/26 and 2026/27 racing seasons¹. The club had submitted the request to the government, and the public was invited to comment on it through the Betting and Lotteries Commission, a statutory advisory body set up under the Betting Duty Ordinance (Cap. 108)².

Under the current license, the club may stage no more than 88 local race days between 1 September and 31 August, simulcast 25 non-local races on local race days, and simulcast non-local races on 37 non-local race days, with no more than 12 non-local races on any one simulcast day². The approved changes are:

The club said the higher quotas would let its race schedule cover most of the races rated as the world's top 100 Group 1 races by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities¹. In its January submission, the club said that of 134 non-local races rated among the world's top 100 Group 1 races between 2021 and 2023, it could simulcast only 47, 51 and 64 in past seasons, and planned 71 in 2024/25, leaving 63 outside legal channels².

The club argued the change would steer betting demand to legal channels and help fight illegal gambling¹. Its submission cited a 28% rise in people taking part in illegal horse race betting in 2023 compared with 2021, and a roughly 43% rise among those betting on non-local races, along with a 246% jump in average baseline traffic to illegal gambling sites and a 329% rise in traffic tied to non-local races on days when top races were not simulcast².

The club also said simulcast betting accounted for about 10% of total racing turnover, and that non-local betting, at 2% of local race turnover in 2013/14, had risen to 21% by 2023/24 as commingled pools grew². It said fewer than 1% of simulcast bettors in 2023/24 were aged 18 to 21, and about 80% were 40 or older².

What it means for players

The change widens the list of overseas races that can be bet on through the Jockey Club, the only legal operator for horse race betting in Hong Kong, rather than through unlicensed bookmakers. It applies to simulcast betting on non-local races, not to the number of local race days, which stays capped at 88. The 12-race daily limit on simulcast days is unchanged in the documents. The higher quotas take effect in stages, so the full 55-race and 70-day ceilings do not apply until the 2026/27 season. The club has not said which specific meetings will be added.

What happens next

The first stage, 40 simulcast races and 53 simulcast days, applies from the 2025/26 season. The second stage, 55 races and 70 days, applies from the 2026/27 season². No further approval steps are set out in the documents.