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Record turnover at Happy Valley for Hong Kong racing’s season finale

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Hong Kong’s “season like no other” ended at Happy Valley on Wednesday 15th July with turnover of HK$1.6 billion (£160 million), a record for a fixture at the iconic city-side venue.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club navigated the uncertainty of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic decisively, implementing measures that protected public and employee health, and enabled the sport to continue; and also managed issues related to demonstrations in the city, which caused significant traffic disruptions to customers and staff, and which had a significant impact on attendance.

Mr. Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, commented: “While we recognise that the Coronavirus situation is an ongoing battle, and we must remain vigilant, I can say that it has been heartening to see the Hong Kong community pull together and play a crucial part in combatting its effects; the Hong Kong Jockey Club has been quick to reflect and enact those safeguarding measures and policies while continuing to race.

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“We are pleased to have been able to complete a full season but of course our prime focus throughout, and a real challenge, was to act responsibly to protect the public health and safety of our staff, customers and the wider community, at every turn, while at the same time balancing that with the desire for our sport to continue.”

 

Turnover and contributions

Hong Kong’s total racing turnover in the 2019/20 season was HK$121.6 billion (£12.2 billion) which was down only 2.6 percent on the previous season and was still the third-highest ever despite COVID-19 placing severe pressure on domestic wagering in Hong Kong.

The turnover on Hong Kong racing by Hong Kong customers understandably declined by 8.3 percent due to the effects of the Club’s 100 OCCBs (off-course betting branches) being closed or operating on reduced opening from early February, and fans unable to attend the racecourse for almost half the season.

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Turnover dipped by almost 26 percent in early February but wagering rallied through the later part of the season and climaxed with Happy Valley’s record turnover at the finale fixture. The impacts on OCBBs necessitated a change and resulted in the Club helping customers migrate online.

There were further positives as total commingling turnover increased to a record HK$23.58 billion (£2.36 billion), up 25.3 percent on last season; and Hong Kong racing fans continued to show a growing interest in the sport overseas, as evidenced in the 12.9 percent increase in the Club’s simulcast turnover.

Mr. Engelbrecht-Bresges said: “Our overall season’s racing turnover of more than HK$121 billion is pleasing in light of the significant challenges as it only reduced by 2.6 percent. Commingling continues to be a huge growth area for the Club.”

Mr. Engelbrecht-Bresges noted the “strategic value of commingling,” in which people from around the world participate and bet on Hong Kong racing, and observed that the figures show the global appeal and growing interest in Hong Kong racing around the world.

“We are pleased with how popular our simulcasts are with Hong Kong customers and we are keen to do more,” he said.

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“Furthermore, we are pleased with how much interest our customers have in our simulcast programmes from the leading race meetings around the world. We saw this even more in the second World Pool at Royal Ascot, which proved a huge success – with individual race turnover up by more than 49 percent on 2019 – and we look forward to expanding the World Pool concept next season, with Hong Kong as a vital hub for global wagering.”

The Hong Kong Jockey Club runs racing with a core purpose being the betterment of society as a whole; the Club is the city’s largest tax payer and this racing season alone has paid HK$12.113 billion (£1.21 billion) to the Hong Kong government, while a significant contribution, including special emergency COVID-19 funding support, has been paid in charitable contributions to a wide range of causes.

Mr. Engelbrecht-Bresges said: “There was a compelling public interest element to our desire to continue racing through COVID-19, from Chinese New Year to the end of the season, during which time our tax contribution from racing was more than HK$6.2 billion (£620 million). This has enabled us to not only keep donations at last year’s level but also increase it due to our contributions via the COVID-19 Emergency Fund.

“We are incredibly proud that the Club could continue to make such a contribution and, the benefits of completing a full season will be felt by millions of people across Hong Kong over the coming months.”

The CEO praised the resilience of the Hong Kong community and thanked racing fans, owners, Club members, horsemen, the media, and Club staff in particular, for their patience, dedication and efforts in ensuring the 2019/20 racing season was able to continue in safety.

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FeedConstruct Secures Exclusive International Streaming and Data Collection Rights for Korean Volleyball Leagues

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FeedConstruct is excited to enhance its offerings with the addition of another significant Korean sports content. Based on the new partnership, the company has secured exclusive international streaming and data rights for all matches of Korea’s Volleyball Leagues and Cup competitions.

Korea’s V-League is one of the most prestigious and competitive volleyball leagues worldwide, particularly in Asia, renowned for its high-level matches and featuring top-tier local and international talents. FeedConstruct will cover all the matches from both the men’s and women’s competitions, ensuring comprehensive access to this elite league and delivering premium content.

The KOVO Cup, a highly anticipated annual event, serves as a lead-up to the V-League season, offering teams a platform to experiment with new rosters and strategies. Since 2018, the KOVO Cup has invited international teams, such as Thailand’s Supreme Chonburi, raising the tournament’s prestige and drawing significant attention from volleyball fans across the country.

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Volleyball has been a prominent sport in Korea for decades, with the national teams consistently competing at high levels in major international tournaments like the Olympics and World Championships.

Reflecting on the new partnership, Narek Harutyunyan, CEO at FeedConstruct, stated: “We are thrilled to secure the exclusive international streaming and data rights for all matches of Korea’s Volleyball Leagues and Cup competitions. Korean volleyball has a rich history and a passionate fan base, and we are committed to providing comprehensive coverage of these elite competitions. This collaboration not only strengthens our global volleyball portfolio but also underscores our dedication to delivering premium sports content.”

KBSN Director Lee Ju Young, added: ‘’We are honored to collaborate with FeedConstruct on this project. We hope that Korean professional volleyball will receive more global attention. We believe that partnerships are significant because they carry weight.’’

KOVO’s Director Lee Young-ho said: “I am pleased that this partnership will enhance the global capabilities of Korean professional volleyball. It seems like a great opportunity to connect with many fans overseas through FeedConstruct. I hope this will be a good opportunity for Korean professional volleyball to grow to the next level.”

The post FeedConstruct Secures Exclusive International Streaming and Data Collection Rights for Korean Volleyball Leagues appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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NewCasinoRank Unveils Specifics of Thai New Online Casino Market

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NewCasinoRank, a leading website specialising in reviewing new online casinos and covering various aspects of iGaming, has provided an in-depth analysis of the emerging online casino scene in Thailand. As Thailand remains one of the most frequented locations accessing NewCasinoRank, the team is dedicated to delivering precise and relevant information that aligns with the country’s strict gambling regulations.

Gambling in Thailand is heavily regulated under the Gambling Act of 1935, which prohibits most forms of gambling except for the government-run lottery and horse racing. Despite these restrictions, the popularity of online casinos continues to grow, driven by increasing internet accessibility. According to Statista, the online gambling market in Thailand is projected to grow by 5.56% (2024-2028), resulting in a market volume of €628.90m in 2028.

Thai players frequently visit NewCasinoRank to find reliable information on accessible new online casinos that comply with local laws. To meet this demand, NewCasinoRank’s team meticulously curates content that adheres to Thailand’s legal framework, ensuring players have access to safe and trustworthy gaming options.

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Chloe O’Sullivan, CasinoRank’s Writer, emphasizes the platform’s commitment: “We highly value our Thai audience and strive to provide up-to-date information on our dedicated Thailand page. This comprehensive resource includes special features of new casino sites in Thailand, the most popular casino game developers in the country, an overview of the average bonus values based on market trends and local currency, and much more.”

Samuel Adeoye, CasinoRank’s Researcher, said: “Speaking of new casinos, sometimes it’s hard to get the most accurate information because the subject is new. Still, we manage to do that by collecting data from reputable open sources and collaborating with trusted casinos that partner with NewCasinoRank. This ensures that our content is both accurate and relevant, providing Thai players with the information they need to make informed decisions.”

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AFC signs MoU with IBIA to strengthen fight against match-fixing

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s resolve to protect and safeguard the beautiful game in Asia was further underlined today through the signing of a four-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA).

Moving forward, the AFC and IBIA will work closely to detect irregular betting patterns and suspicious activities in football matches across Asia. IBIA, through its Monitoring and Alert Platform, will share real-time data on suspicious betting activity with the AFC, further enhancing the AFC’s abilities to promptly investigate potential match manipulation.

The AFC General Counsel and Director of Legal Affairs, Mr. Andrew Mercer said: “The AFC’s Vision and Mission has outlined our steadfast ambitions to uphold the highest ethical and sporting standards, and we are committed towards preserving our key tenets of fair play and integrity.

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“Leveraging on strong collaborations with the world’s leading organisations is imperative to our fight against match-fixing and this MoU with IBIA further strengthens our ability to ensure football in Asia remains clean for the benefit of our future generation of fans, players and all our valued stakeholders.”

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “Cooperation is a vital part of any effective integrity monitoring and investigatory framework and IBIA is delighted to be able to strengthen its relationship with the AFC through this important information sharing collaboration. For its part, IBIA will seek to safeguard the AFC ecosystem by utilising the monitoring of its members’ global customer account activity, which covers over $300bn in sports betting per annum.”

Mr. Mercer, added: “The AFC is committed to promoting integrity, ethics, and fair play in Asian football and we are pleased to work with IBIA as we strive to enhance our capabilities to monitor and address suspicious activities, ensuring that football in Asia is safeguarded from the threats of match manipulation.”

The MoU between the AFC and IBIA marks a significant step forward in the fight against match-fixing in Asian football with both organisations dedicated to creating a secure environment for the sport, fostering trust amongst fans, players and all stakeholders.

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