China, May Test Horse Racing With Legal Betting

China May Test Horse Racing With Legal Betting
In China, "authorities are reportedly paving the way for the reintroduction of horse racing with legal betting, with the city of Wuhan to host a test run after the Beijing Olympics" noted bloodhorse.com. Xinhua news agency reported the central government had "approved the establishment of regular horse racing at the Orient Lucky City racecourse in the capital of Hubei province & was considering the introduction of gambling on the races next year". And the Changjiang Times quoted Wuhan party secretary Miao Wei as confirming the State Sports General Administration had permitted the issuing of a "horse racing lottery" in Wuhan; however a senior manager with the Orient Lucky Horse Group Corporation told Xinhua betting on the races "would probably not be introduced on a trial basis until next year". The manager said: "Initially, about 250 horses from different jockey clubs around the country will participate in the races." However a China Sports Lottery Administration Centre spokeswoman told Xinhua: "The proposal of betting on horse racing is being reviewed & discussed, but there is no concrete information on when or whether it will begin." The newspaper also quoted Qin Zunwen, head of the Chinese Horse Racing Intelligence Competition Research Group (an SSG authorised taskforce based in Wuhan) saying: "It is going to be different from that in Hong Kong." The group's mission "is to produce a betting format fit for the mainland betting consumer, which must currently do all betting through illegal bookmakers". (Sports Lotteries, in which the player must try to guess the winners of a large number of events for one big prize, are currently the only legal form of gambling in China.) (Jan 14)