The government in China’s gambling hub of Macau said Monday that after more than 40 years, there will be no more horse racing in the city and announced plans to terminate its contract with the city’s Jockey Club this April.
Many familiar North American jockeys have plied their trade in Macau including multiple Canadian champion Eurico Rsa da Silva, who won some 300 races there before he came to Canada.
The gaming hub on China’s south coast near Hong Kong is home to various gambling businesses, which form a major pillar of its economy. But the Jockey Club, acquired by a consortium led by late casino tycoon Stanley Ho in 1991, has faced financial woes in recent years.
An agreement between Macau racing and the government was signed in 2018 and was intended to last until August 31, 2042, on the condition that the club would invest 1.5 billion patacas in sustainable development by the end of last year, which it did not do.
In a press conference, Cheong Weng Chon, a Macau official, told reporters that the Macau Horse Racing Company had asked last year that the contract with the government be terminated, citing operational difficulties and the “impossibility of aligning horse racing activities with the current developmental needs of society.”
“Considering that these activities have progressively lost their appeal to local residents and tourists in recent years, the government, after thorough research, decided to accept the application from the Macao Horse Race Company,” he said.
The announcement that racing in Macau will end this spring follows the same notice last year that racing in Singapore will cease this fall due to the need for space for housing. In both areas, arrangements will be made to export racehorses to other jurisdictions.
Additional stories include this feature.
~ with files from the Associated Press
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