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Hong Kong season finale breaks single race meeting turnover record
An extraordinary 2022/23 Hong Kong horse racing season ended in style on Sunday, 16 July at Sha Tin Racecourse, with the 88th and final meeting of the season setting a new turnover record for both a single race meeting and the season finale meeting of HK$2.065 billion (approx. £202 million) – an increase of 1.3% year-on-year – since the establishment of the HKSAR in 1997.
In total, the season’s 88 meetings saw 835 Hong Kong races and 299 overseas simulcast races and posted turnover of HK$141.1 billion (approx. £13.8 billion), representing a slight 0.5% increase on the 2021/22 season.
The increasing popularity of the simulcast of overseas races and the increasing appreciation of the global nature of racing contributed to a 12.5% growth in simulcast turnover to over HK$11.8 billion (approx. £1.2 billion).
While the majority of simulcast turnover comes from Hong Kong customers, which registered an 11.3% growth to HK$10.5 billion (approx. £1 billion), turnover generated via World Pool from the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s (HKJC) overseas customers and partners grew by 23% to HK$1.3 billion (approx. £127 million).
The turnover of all simulcast races conducted under the World Pool Brand (including both Hong Kong and overseas customers) increased from HK$6.2 billion (approx. £606 million) in the 2021/22 season to HK$7.3 billion (approx. £714 million), representing a 18.5% increase.
The HKJC have continued to increase the number of World Pool races to 24 days this season featuring many of the LONGINES Top 100 Group 1 races, while also broadening World Pool partnerships to include racing from Australia, Saudi Arabia and Germany for the first time.
Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “Under such a challenging economic situation, our overall season racing turnover of HK$141.1 billion is very satisfactory. The strength of the turnover reflects the quality of our products and the on-going support of our customers. However, we will stay vigilant as there will be significant challenges from offshore bookmakers following the reopening of borders and also illegal bookmakers.
“To ensure our racing will stay competitive and maintain its world-class status, we will re-invest in racecourse assets and enhance customer experience. We will also grasp the unique development opportunity in the GBA under the ‘One Country Two Systems’ principle. After all, the Club is acting for the betterment of society. All we do is to contribute more to our community with a strategic focus that best meets the needs of Hong Kong people.”
Zac Purton and John Size set new records
The 2022/23 season saw new records set on the track too, with trainer John Size becoming the first trainer to win 12 Hong Kong trainers’ championships. The Australian master trainer has now trained 1493 winners in Hong Kong and continues to excel with an uncanny ability to patiently develop young talent into elite top-level performers.
Zac Purton clinched his sixth Hong Kong jockeys’ championship with a single-season record of 179 wins, breaking Joao Moreira’s previous record of 170.
Home-grown jockey Vincent Ho received the Tony Cruz Award – given to the leading local rider with the most wins in the season – for a fourth time.
With only 1,250 horses in training – or around 0.7 percent of the world’s horse population – Hong Kong’s racing once again displayed its world-class quality in 2022/23.
Golden Sixty, the first horse in the history of Hong Kong racing to have secured three consecutive Horse of the Year crowns, and fellow G1 winners, Lucky Sweynesse and Romantic Warrior, are firmly entrenched in the top seven of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.
They delivered astounding performances against international rivals in the international spotlight on FWD Champions Day on 30 April 2023 and led a clean sweep of the three Group 1 features of the day – G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m), G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) and G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m).
Engelbrecht-Bresges, said: “Hong Kong’s world-class racing is not only built on our state-of-art racing facilities, but more importantly a rich and growing pool of racing talents across all levels from trainers, jockeys, veterinarians to stable assistants and farriers. The Hong Kong Jockey Club is committed to attracting world-class talents from overseas and nurturing high-potential home-grown talents. I am delighted to see our racing talents and the horses they train, and take care of, deliver remarkable performances this season to local and global fans. They are the future of Hong Kong’s racing.”
Development of racing in Mainland China
Another important highlight of the 2022/23 season is that Conghua Racecourse (CRC) has demonstrated its critical role in supporting Hong Kong’s racing as well as the development of the equine industry in the Greater Bay Area.
CRC has fully utilised its state-of-the-art facilities to best accommodate, train and prepare horses to return to Sha Tin and Happy Valley racecourse for racing. In the past season, CRC has produced 172 wins by 138 horses.
Engelbrecht-Bresges said: “The importance of CRC will continue to grow further with the significant work we are undertaking with Sha Tin’s stable refurbishment to meet the future needs of trainers. CRC will also serve as the centre stage of international-standard racing in the Mainland, starting from the first race meeting in 2026 with the establishment of an iconic grandstand enabling visitors from all fronts to enjoy and experience Hong Kong’s world-class racing.”
Hong Kong racing will restart for the 2023/24 season on 10 September.
South Africa is once again positioning itself as a leader in ethical gambling practices, with the upcoming Responsible Gambling Summit 2025 set to take place on 13–14 November 2025 at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Gauteng. This landmark event will gather international experts, regulators, and industry professionals to address the most pressing challenges in responsible gambling across Africa.
Hosted by the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF) in collaboration with major regulatory bodies such as the National Gambling Board, Eastern Cape Gambling Board, and Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board, the summit aims to drive forward an evidence-based, solutions-focused agenda that ensures gambling growth does not come at the cost of public well-being.
As South Africa continues to see rising participation in both land-based and gambling online, the summit is timely. It will tackle issues ranging from technological safeguards and public health integration, to policy harmonisation and vulnerable population protection.
Advocating for Safer Online Gambling
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Practical Frameworks for Change
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7777 gaming, a leading provider of innovative iGaming content, has officially entered the Croatian market through an exclusive partnership with SuperSport’s brand Super Casino, the country’s largest betting operator. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for 7777 gaming as it continues its expansion across the Balkans.
SuperSport, a dominant force in Croatia’s regulated gaming industry with approximately 50% market share, is now offering a selection of certified titles from 7777 gaming. Among these are popular games such as Crazy 100 Bucks, Thracian Treasures, Barbarian, Greenhats’ Megawins, and Devil’s Deal: Soul for Sale. Each game is designed with cutting-edge mechanics, immersive themes, and rewarding features to provide an unparalleled player experience.
In addition to its diverse game portfolio, 7777 gaming introduces three exciting jackpot concepts to the Croatian market:
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“We are thrilled to partner with SuperSport and bring our unique gaming content to Croatian players,” said Elena Shaterova, CCO at 7777 gaming. “This exclusive collaboration allows us to showcase our commitment to delivering high-quality, engaging games tailored to the local market’s preferences.”
Tugomil Cerovečki, Casino Director at SuperSport added, “Integrating 7777 gaming’s titles into our platform enhances our offerings and aligns with our goal to provide top-tier entertainment to our users. We are confident that our players will appreciate the innovative gameplay and exciting jackpot features.”
This partnership underscores 7777 gaming’s strategic focus on expanding its presence in the Balkans and reinforces its dedication to delivering exceptional gaming experiences across new markets.
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The product is built by a dedicated team of visionaries with over 20 years of experience. The games and the RNG are tested and compliant in several highly regulated jurisdictions worldwide. Besides, the company achieved and maintained ISO 27001 certification. 7777 gaming holds a gambling license in Bulgaria and Romania and an MGA Certificate to provide its online casino games to these markets.
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The post 7777 gaming enters Croatian market with exclusive game launch on SuperSport appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Allwyn’s Local Retail Champions Completed First Stage of Their Social Value Store Makeover
National Lottery operator, Allwyn’s, 2024 Local Retail Champions, Natalie and Martin Lightfoot – who own Londis Solo Convenience in Glasgow – have completed the first stage of their Social Value store makeover by installing new colleague headsets to help with security at the store.
The husband-and-wife shopkeepers were awarded £5000 cash and a Social Value store makeover worth up to £20,000 when they were crowned National Winners at Allwyn’s first ever Local Retail Champions awards in December. They had been nominated for the award by their customers for a host of community-focused work, such as organising charity fundraising events and local litter-picking activities, as well as providing a home delivery service for those in need.
Natalie and Martin have beallgun the Social Value store makeover work – which will take a number of months to complete – by installing six new colleague headsets to improve security at the store. The headsets enhance communication between store staff, increasing safety for both customers and staff and enabling colleagues to respond quickly to assistance requests.
The next stage of the store makeover activity will see the installation of new CCTV equipment, replacing the current 15-year-old system. As well as protecting the store, the CCTV currently helps keeps the community safer, with cameras located outside of the store successfully having been used in the past to help with investigations.
The final stage of the makeover will include installation of retail AI technology, with initial plans for this currently being looked at by Natalie and Martin.
Natalie said: “We’re really grateful to Allwyn for what the Local Retail Champions store makeover money is helping us do with security in the store. The headsets have been a godsend. The store has thick walls, making it difficult to hear each other in different areas of the shop, so the headsets allow us all to communicate and respond to things quickly as a team. We’re also in the process of getting new CCTV installed which will provide clearer pictures as the current system is quite pixelated and very dated. We wouldn’t have been able to get any of this new equipment without the Local Retail Champions makeover money, not for a long while anyway.”
Allwyn’s Director of Commercial Partnerships and Retail Sales, Alison Acquaye-Acford said: “We know Natalie is passionate about store security for retailers and has spoken publicly about the subject in the past, so we’re really happy we’ve been able to support her own store’s security needs with the store makeover. And she and her husband are absolutely deserving of the prize – they are a shining example of retailers who go above and beyond for their local community, which is precisely why they were crowned one of our two National Winners at Allwyn’s 2024 Local Retail Champions awards. We’re looking forward to hearing about how the project progresses further.”
The Local Retail Champions initiative is paid for with money from Allwyn’s dedicated Social Value Fund, which is an annual £1 million that the company has committed to using to support operating The National Lottery in an environmentally and socially responsible way. Last year, Allwyn used a portion of the fund to reward and recognise the important role its retail partners play in every community across the UK and Isle of Man – and arrangements for this year’s programme will become available over the coming months.
The post Allwyn’s Local Retail Champions Completed First Stage of Their Social Value Store Makeover appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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