The government has given the Hong Kong Jockey Club permission to have horse races on five more days this year as well as adding fifteen simulcast days to the racing schedule. This decision was made in an attempt to raise tax revenue due to the economic crisis. The last racing season saw a decline of $110 million over the year before.
Hong Kong has only three legal forms of gambling. The Jockey Club is in charge of two of them with control of horse racing and soccer betting while the state run lottery is the only other legal form of gambling there. In a city where one evening’s racing bets totaled a huge $155 million, those extra days are sure to be popular. The next race at the Sha Tin Track will be held on September 13.