TOKYO: Efforts are moving forward to revive horse racing run by local governments in Japan, after years of declining popularity.

Sales have been recovering, due in part to online sales of betting tickets, although until now local racecourses have not been financially strong enough to splurge on major repairs on facilities.

But support to local racecourses was strengthened under the horse racing law revised this month, making it easier for them to improve facilities.

Sales at local racecourses in fiscal 2021, which ended in March, rose by some 10 pct from the previous year to 993.3 billion yen, hitting a record high for the first time in 30 years.

Local horse racing had been in the doldrums, with some local racecourses closing, since sales peaked in fiscal 1991, as the whole horse racing industry thrived on the success of Oguri Cap, a legendary racehorse that debuted at a local racecourse and later collected wins in major races run by the Japan Racing Association.

After hitting a trough in fiscal 2011, sales have recovered gradually and topped 900 billion yen in fiscal 2020, thanks to the wide adoption of online betting tickets and cooperation with the JRA in selling tickets.

By contrast, the number of visitors to local racecourses fell to some 3.05 million in fiscal 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, down some 80 pct from a peak of some 14.6 million in fiscal 1991.

The sales surge in the past two years was partly helped by people staying away from leisure activities amid the pandemic, said a person familiar with local race horsing.

Kochi Racecourse in western Japan saw its cumulative debts expand to as much as 8.8 billion yen at one point during the years of decline. Its sales have since improved due to cuts in prize money and other expenditures, the holding of nighttime races around the year and live streams of horse races. In fiscal 2021, the racecourse earned some 94.9 billion yen in sales, hitting a record high for the sixth straight year.

The racecourse also aims to contribute to regional revitalization by attracting visitors, with plans to build a large-scale playground as early as next spring to lure families.

Under the revised horse racing law, the National Association of Racing, which works for local racecourses, will be able to get strengthened support from the JRA to improve facilities. Support to promote horse-producing regions was made permanent.

According to the agriculture ministry, 70 pct of stables and other facilities at local racecourses are beyond their use years.

The ministry estimates that more than 240 billion yen will be necessary to repair facilities at local racecourses in fiscal 2023 and later years.

JIJI Press