Macau’s Secretary for Administration and Justice made explicitly clear on Monday that horse racing in Macau was done, noting that the space currently occupied by the Macau Jockey Club would not be used for a “casino” or other “gaming” purposes.
The statement was made during a press conference detailing the Macau Jockey Club‘s closure – on April 1 of 2024, with its official race season ending on March 31st of 2024.
The Macau Jockey Club itself submitted the request to end its racing concession, according to authorities, sometime mid-2023. This flies in the face of what the government had previously stated.
In 2018, the Macau government renewed the racing license for the Macau Jockey Club for 24 years and six months, citing its contribution to Macau’s diversification of its economy. The contract for the renewal involved some MOP1.5bn in investments.
The contract for the renewal, according to the Secretary, did not involve any indemnity clauses for its abrupt termination by either part, despite possible impacts on the public good.
Source: Asia Gaming Brief
