HKJC to reopen off-course betting shops on non-racedays

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has announced it is to reopen the majority of its off-course betting shops on non-racedays from 22 June, as restrictions placed on the network as a result of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) are eased.

All shops will remain open until the end of the current racing season on 14 July to provide betting services for horse races and customer services.

Customers will be able to place bets on horse racing at the shops, as well as cash in vouchers or winning tickets, deposit into or withdraw funds from their betting accounts, open or re-activate accounts and set up fund transfers.

However, off-course betting shops will not be permitted to process any bets on football, while the HKJC said the Mark Six lottery will also remain suspended for the foreseeable future.

Shops will also be required to comply with a number of new measures aimed at preventing further spread of Covid-19. These include all customers having their temperature taken before entering the shops then wear a face mask while inside.

Other measures include all customers and staff observing social distancing and group gathering restrictions, in line with Hong Kong government policy, while hand sanitiser stations must be placed inside all shops.

Earlier this month, H2 Gambling Capital, iGB’s principal data partner, projected a 22.5% decrease on its pre-pandemic annual forecast to $366.9bn after announcing that gambling revenue for Asia and Oceania were expected to fall 24.1% below initial projections as a result of Covid-19.