The Korean wave in horseracing in Singapore

“Go!Go!Go!”

Shouts from gamblers fascinated by Korean horseracing rattle the horserace betting center in the Kranji Singapore Turf Club (STC), one of the largest racetracks in Singapore, which is about 20 kilometers north of the downtown Singapore, every Saturday.

The Korea Racing Authority sold a simulcast broadcast to Singapore in December last year. It was the first business sold to other country among its seven legal businesses, including Sports Toto, a bicycle race, a speedboat race, a casino, and a bullfight. Eleven horserace betting centers in Singapore including the STC broadcasts live the horserace held in Let’s Run Park Seoul (formerly Seoul Race Park) every Saturday. The Korea Racing Authority takes some of the total betting revenue.

Korean horseracing has soaring popularity in Singapore. It is a matter of time before Korean horseracing overtakes Hong Kong and Australian horseracing. Around 9,000 people bet at the STC’s horserace betting center, and a growing number of customers bet on Korean horses. The Korean Wave also affects horseracing in Singapore.

Korean horseracing is popular because it suits Singaporean customers’ betting taste. Li Pong, 50, said at the STC, “As Korean racing tracks has long and wide straight tracks in the total racing course (1,400 meters), they have few fouls like blocking, which means horses intentionally hitting each other.”

The Korea Racing Authority offers extensive and specific racing information to customers so that even beginners can bet on a likely outcome. Customers who have information for the past three years of each racing horse can have fun as they can predict the outcome based on their own analysis. Singapore sent its racing horse to the first Asia Challenge Cup, the first international invitational race hosted by the Korea Racing Authority on Aug. 31. It is an indication that Singapore is willing to have exchanges in the horseracing business on a broad basis with Korea.