Hong Kong Jockey Club delays Conghua Racecourse opening despite record turnover

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has revealed it will delay introducing regular racing at its Conghua Racecourse in mainland China as it reported record financial results despite a “challenging and fast-changing environment”.

The club on Wednesday reported wagering and lottery turnover rose by 3.6 per cent over the previous financial year to a record HK$331.7 billion (US$42.30 billion), despite “a very difficult environment, including the ever-expanding threat of illegal gambling”.

The club also said it contributed HK$39.3 billion to the community, while football betting turnover rose by 3.6 per cent to a record HK$179 billion and racing turnover rose by the same proportion to HK$143 billion.

Racecourse attendance also benefited from a tourism surge, with visitor numbers more than doubling to 401,259 during the 2025-26 season, up by 105 per cent year on year.

But the club, the city’s sole licensed gambling operator, warned it expected its operating surplus to fall “over the next few years” due to heavy investment in basketball betting and its Conghua training facility in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

It had initially planned to open the venue next month, but had decided to delay that after receiving the latest “risk assessment from the relevant mainland departments”.