The Japan Racing Association (JRA) ended weekday refund services at Sapporo Racecourse, Hakodate Racecourse, WINS Isawa, WINS Himeji, WINS Yonago, WINS Takamatsu and Excel Hakata on February 24, 20261. Winning tickets issued through the JRA system can no longer be cashed at those seven locations on weekdays.
The seven venues sit in Hokkaido, Yamanashi, Hyogo, Tottori, Kagawa and Fukuoka. Sapporo and Hakodate are JRA racecourses; WINS Isawa, Himeji, Yonago and Takamatsu are off-track betting facilities using the JRA system; Excel Hakata is a paid-admission, capacity-controlled facility1. Apart from Excel Tanushi, Excel outlets charge an admission fee and some operate on a membership basis1.
The JRA has been narrowing the weekday footprint of its betting network for several years. Friday sales ended at all betting outlets in 2022, leaving Friday betting to telephone and internet channels only1. WINS Korakuen and WINS Shinjuku ended Friday sales on December 24, 20211.
Tickets issued through the JRA system and tickets issued at J-PLACE outlets are not interchangeable: a ticket bought through the JRA system cannot be refunded or returned at a J-PLACE outlet, and the reverse also applies, with some exceptions1.
"2026年2月24日をもって札幌競馬場、函館競馬場、ウインズ石和、ウインズ姫路、ウインズ米子、ウインズ高松及びエクセル博多での平日払戻サービスを終了した"
What it means for players
Anyone holding a winning ticket bought through the JRA system at one of the seven affected venues has to collect on a weekend or at another JRA outlet, since weekday refunds there have stopped1. The venues themselves have not closed; the change covers weekday payout service only. Bettors who use telephone or internet betting are unaffected by the outlet change, since Friday sales moved to those channels in 20221. Visitors planning to cash tickets at Sapporo or Hakodate racecourses on a weekday face the same restriction, and those using J-PLACE outlets in regional areas cannot refund JRA-system tickets there1. How scratched horses and late withdrawals are handled in Japanese tote betting is set out in the site's guides.
What happens next
The JRA has not announced any further weekday refund changes beyond the February 24, 2026 end date at these seven venues1.
Sources2 sources
- 場外勝馬投票券発売所 - Wikipedia, ja.wikipedia.org
- 2026年の日本競馬 - Wikipedia, ja.wikipedia.org
